PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Information Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister how many full-time equivalent press officers  (a) work and  (b) provide assistance for his Office.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 624W.

Departmental Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff were employed by his Office in 2007-08; and how many staff were employed by his predecessor's office in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 624W, and the answer I gave the hon. Members for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) and for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 819W. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my predecessor (right hon. Tony Blair) on 11 October 2006,  Official Report, column 2036W and the answer given to the hon. Member the for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson) on 10 October 2005,  Official Report, column 163-4W.

Departmental Television

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister whether the television licence fee in his official ministerial residence is paid from public funds.

Gordon Brown: No. My television licence is paid for privately.

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Prime Minister how many Questions for written answer were tabled to him and to his predecessor in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Gordon Brown: The information requested is a matter of public record and is available in the  Official Report.

Energy

William Hague: To ask the Prime Minister when the London meeting on energy referred to in his recent speech in Abu Dhabi is scheduled to take place; what the objective of the meeting will be; and whether representatives of all OPEC member states have been invited.

Gordon Brown: The London Energy Ministerial Meeting is due to take place on 19 December. The objective of the meeting will be to enhance the dialogue between the major oil producing and consuming countries, in order to improve the functioning of the oil market. A theme of the meeting will be 'Oil and the World Economy'. All countries who attended the Jeddah meeting in June, including all OPEC oil Ministers, together with the European Commission and the OPEC, IEA and IEF Secretariats have been invited.

Political Office: Telephones

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) of 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 618W, on political office: furniture, how many Downing street Political Office staff have telephones provided at the public expense.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 618W.

Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit Shrewsbury.

Gordon Brown: I have no current plans to do so.

World Economy

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he made at the summit convened by President Bush on reform of the global economy in Washington on 15 November 2008; if he will post on his departmental website all papers submitted to the summit by participating nations; and which Ministers and officials accompanied him to the meeting.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 17 November 2008, Official Report, columns 21-24.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for which Government websites his Department is responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost of maintaining each site was in that period.

Paul Goggins: The number of visitors and the maintenance costs of the Government websites for which my Department is responsible are detailed in the following tables.
	
		
			   1 April 2007 to 31 March  2008 
			  Website  Number of visitors  Cost of  m aintaining  (£) 
			 Northern Ireland Office www.nio.gov.uk 263,214 £4,308 
			 Forensic Service Northern Ireland www.fsni.gov.uk 45,939 0 
			 Youth Justice Agency www.youthjusticeagencyni.gov.uk 21,923 2,185.50 
			 Compensation Agency www.compensationni.gov.uk 12,275 0 
			 Northern Ireland Prison service www.niprisonservice.gov.uk 78,713 2,696 
		
	
	
		
			   1 January 2008 to date 
			  Website  Number of visitors  Cost of  m aintaining (£) 
			 Organised Crime Task Force www.octf.gov.uk 3,152 1,128

Drugs: Convictions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of drug-related offences in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The following table outlines the number of convictions for drug-related offences for the calendar years 2004 to 2006 (the latest years available).
	Conviction data are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Convictions for drug-related offences 2004-06 
			   Number 
			 2004 590 
			 2005 612 
			 2006 734

Drugs: Sentencing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average sentence handed down by the courts in Northern Ireland for  (a) possession of and  (b) dealing in drugs was in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table gives the number convicted, number sentenced to immediate custody and the average custodial sentence length (in months) for unlawful possession of and unlawful dealing in drugs.
	Data cover the calendar years 2002 to 2006, the latest available years, and are collated on the principal offence rule; so only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included.
	
		
			  Table: Number convicted, number sentenced to immediate custody and the average custodial sentence length (in months) given for unlawful possession and unlawful dealing in drugs 2002-2006 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Possession of drugs number convicted 297 378 401 457 572 
			 Immediate custody 21 23 23 23 19 
			 Average sentence (months) 11 8 7 8 5 
			 Dealing in drugs number convicted 112 119 182 149 159 
			 Immediate custody 44 56 61 60 80 
			 Average sentence (months) 22 30 28 22 26

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Disabled

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of new police officer recruits who joined the Police Service of Northern Ireland since November 2001 declared themselves as having a disability at the time of joining.

Paul Goggins: That is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. I have asked him to reply directly to the hon. Member, and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the  (a) Government and  (b) armed forces have held discussions with the Taliban in Afghanistan during 2008.

John Hutton: holding answer 17 November 2008
	 The UK's position remains as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out to Parliament on 12 December 2007,  Official Report, column 305; we will not negotiate with the Taliban.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons are for Harriers undertaking a night commitment in Afghanistan.

John Hutton: Given the nature of the campaign in Afghanistan, there is a requirement for 24 hours per day air cover for NATO ground forces. This is a mission to which Harrier, as an all-weather day-night capable aircraft, is well suited.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the introduction of  (a) 9,000 US combat troops and  (b) a second US operated runway on command and control in Helmand province.

John Hutton: holding answer 18 November 2008
	 We welcomed President Bush's announcement on 9 September 2008 of the deployment of an additional Battalion and a Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan. Some elements of the additional Battalion are already operating in Helmand Province under the command and control of HQISAF. Plans for the additional Brigade Combat Team have yet to be finalised. We are not aware of any plans for the United States to operate a runway in Helmand Province.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) shortest and  (b) longest length of time has been between a soldier being killed in action and the standard payment following a death in action being paid to the bereaved family in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 11 November 2008
	The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Families

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent Armed Forces Families' Attitude Survey.

Kevan Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 November 2008,  Official Report, column 416W.

Armed Forces: Young People

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how frequently he receives reports updating the progress-tracking grid on implementation of measures proposed by the Defence Select Committee, the Adult Learning Inspectorate and the Blake Review; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent update report.

Kevan Jones: Ministers are briefed orally at least twice yearly on progress relating to the issues raised in reports by the Defence Select Committee, the adult learning inspectorate and previously Nicholas Blake, QC by senior members of each service and officials. The recommendations from the reports have been grouped into 26 subject areas which are open to regular review through audit, inspection and evaluation and other prompts such as policy updates, legislative change and research. Consequently, while issues might be regarded as having been addressed through specific actions, the subject areas remain open and enduring as routine business.
	To ensure that change is enduring, effort is now increasingly focused on developing a culture of continuous improvement. Following publication of the ALI "Better Training" report in 2007, Ofsted is now engaged in inspection of recruiting and training, judging progress on care and welfare issues and providing a view on how well self-assessment at unit level is contributing to continuous improvement. Ofsted is due to complete its first report in spring 2009; this will be published and copies placed in the Library of the House.

Catterick Barracks

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the investigation of allegations of physical abuse and harassment at Catterick Barracks.

Kevan Jones: We were already aware of some of the allegations made by the BBC in its 'The Undercover Soldier' documentary in September. A Royal Military Police (Special Investigation Branch) (RMP(SIB)) investigation had been initiated in February. For those we were not aware of an RMP(SIB) investigation was launched as soon as the BBC made us aware of their concerns. These investigations are continuing.
	The Army Prosecuting Authority has now directed that four individuals, who were the subject of allegations of which we were already aware and which we were investigating, should face trial by court martial.

Central Africa: Air Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF  (a) C-17 Globemaster,  (b) C-130K Hercules,  (c) C-130J Hercules,  (d) Tristar,  (e) VC-10 aircraft and  (f) other RAF aircraft listed by type have flown to (i) Democratic Republic of Congo, (ii) Rwanda and (iii) Burundi in each of the last three months.

Kevan Jones: No RAF C-17 Globemaster, C-130K and C130-J Hercules, Tristar, VC-10 or other RAF aircraft have flown to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda or Burundi in any of the last three months.

Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on Christmas (a) cards, (b) parties and (c) decorations in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: MOD expenditure on Christmas cards in 2007 was £700.
	This figure includes printing, purchase and postage, but excludes a small amount spent by Defence attaches (for permitted representational purposes) which is not identifiable without disproportionate cost. The sending of Christmas cards at public expense is governed by the principles of Managing Public Money, regulated by departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, and must be in pursuit of specific Defence objectives. This year the MOD is increasing its use of E-cards however in some instances like, for veterans, Christmas cards remain the most appropriate means of communication.
	Staff Christmas parties and building decorations are paid for from non-public funds or staff subscription. The exception is the contracted-out facilities management services for MOD Whitehall buildings, which did include an annual £5,000 provision for Christmas decorations, of which £4,000 was spent in 2007. This element of the contract has subsequently been removed.
	Trading Fund expenditure is not included in this response as they are outside the MOD's departmental boundary for financial reporting purposes.

Defence: Procurement

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of  (a) the procurement of the new carriers,  (b) the procurement of the Joint Strike Fighter,  (c) the Trident replacement programme,  (d) procurement of the Type 45 destroyers,  (e) the Future Rapid Effects System and  (f) the costs of upgrading naval bases for the new carriers in each year to 2013.

Quentin Davies: We do not as a rule release annual funding profiles as these are planning assumptions that are inevitably subject to a significant amount of variation, and their availability could also prejudice our commercial interests.
	Total estimated costs for the projects are as follows:
	 (a) Procurement of new aircraft carriers: the estimated procurement cost, as approved at the Main Gate investment decision, is £3,900 million.
	 (b) Joint Strike Fighter: the estimated cost, as set out in the Ministry of Defence Major Projects Report 2007, is £1,858 million, of which £965 million was spent as of 31 March 2007. This estimate is for costs associated with the system development and demonstration phase of the Joint Combat Aircraft programme. The total procurement cost is likely to be up to £10 billion depending upon the number of aircraft required.
	 (c) Trident replacement: The estimated cost will be in the range of £11-14 billion (at 2006-07 prices) for the submarines and propulsion units, for a four boat solution, as set out in the Government's White Paper, 'The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (December 2006, Cm 6994).
	 (d) Type 45 destroyers: the estimated procurement cost, as set out in the Ministry of Defence Major Projects Report 2007, is £6,464 million, of which £3,477 million was spent as of 31 March 2007.
	 (e) Future Rapid Effects System: the estimated cost for the assessment phase as set out in the Ministry of Defence Major Projects Report 2007 is £618 million. The cost of this programme will not be fixed until the main investment decision is taken.
	 (f) Cost of upgrading naval bases: The estimated cost of upgrading the naval bases for the new carriers is £112 million.

Floods: Thames Estuary

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the advice provided by the Meteorological Office to the Environment Agency on the effects of climate change in the South East in relation to flood risk management in the Thames Estuary.

Kevan Jones: The Environment Agency is planning to publish the science reports it commissioned from the Met Office in April 2009, in conjunction with the release of the public consultation of the draft TE2100 plan. In the meantime the Environment Agency will make arrangements to place summary reports of the findings in the Library of the House.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards apprehending those allegedly responsible for the killing of six members of the Royal Military Police in a police station at Majar al-Kabir, near Basra, Iraq, in June 2003; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Following recent operations by Iraqi and Coalition Security Forces in Maysaan Province an individual has been detained in connection with the investigation into the murder of six members of the Royal Military Police at Al Majar Al Kabir on 24 June 2003.
	The UK Government remain absolutely committed to bringing to justice all those responsible for these horrific murders and will continue to provide assistance to the Iraqi authorities as required.

Military Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost of  (a) maintaining and  (b) operating (i) the VC10 and (ii) the Tristar fleet.

Quentin Davies: A number of areas within the Department incur maintenance and operating expenditure on the RAF's VC10 and Tristar fleets. The financial information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. The figures provided in the following table are the estimated logistic support costs of Defence Equipment and Support that can be directly attributed to the two aircraft fleets in the current financial year.
	
		
			  Financial year 2008-09 
			  Aircraft  £ million 
			 VC10 83 
			 TriStar 29 
			  Notes: 1. DE and S staff costs are not included. 2. Costs have been rounded to the nearest million.

Military Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Merlin HM MK1 helicopters and  (b) Nimrod MR2 aircraft are stationed in the UK.

Quentin Davies: Currently, within the effective fleets, there are 33 Merlin HM Mk 1 aircraft and 15 Nimrod MR2 aircraft stationed in the UK.

Military Aircraft: Repairs and Maintenance

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) target and  (b) actual number of (i) BAE and (ii) RAF maintenance staff is at RAF Marham.

Kevan Jones: The number of RAF service personnel and BAE Systems personnel employed on forward and depth maintenance at RAF Marham are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Target  Actual 
			 BAE Systems personnel 541 513 
			 RAF service personnel(1) 1,890 1,727 
			 (1) Actual figures include 20 RAF personnel on temporary detachment from RAF Coningsby.

Military Bases: Helicopters

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when he expects to announce decisions arising from Project Belvedere;
	(2)  what the latest estimate is of the costs of Project Belvedere;
	(3)  how many officials are working on Project Belvedere; and who is in charge of their work;
	(4)  what progress has been made on Project Belvedere;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of likely helicopter noise levels in the area surrounding whichever base is decided on under Project Belvedere;
	(6)  how many helicopters would move to the centralised base under Project Belvedere.

Kevan Jones: The Belvedere Programme is a complex study considering a number of airfields for the future Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) Battlefield Helicopter force and results are not expected to be announced until late summer 2009 following which further work to assess costs and environmental impact for the recommended option will be completed. The recommended option will be put to Ministers for announcement to Parliament in the usual way.
	I am unable to comment on cost estimates at present as the final costs of the programme will depend on the basing option selected and there are currently a range of options being considered. As a final option has not yet been selected no decision has been made on the numbers of bases required and nor, therefore, on the numbers of helicopters that are to be based on each.
	An assessment of the potential changes in noise levels at existing and potential helicopter bases is being initiated by the project team. Their assessment will, in turn, closely inform the evaluation of options.
	The Belvedere Team consists of a dedicated team of 12 military and civilian officials, headed by a senior civil servant under the direction of a three Star military officer as the senior responsible owner (SRO). The SRO in turn, works under the strategic direction of the Defence Operating Board.

Navy: Detainees

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures Royal Navy personnel are instructed to follow in circumstances where they detain people who then claim asylum; and how many people have claimed asylum after being taken into Royal Navy custody since 2001.

Kevan Jones: Naval personnel are issued with guidance on the applicable law and principles relating to the handling of persons claiming asylum including criminal suspects. Commanding officers of RN ships are not empowered to decide on whether an individual is entitled to refugee status; that is a matter for the Home Office. As a matter of practice the RN, after taking advice from other Government Departments, facilitates the asylum seeker's disembarkation at the next safe port of call in order that the individual can pursue their claim.
	There is no record of any individual claiming asylum since 2001, having been first detained on a RN ship.

Navy: Piracy

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents involving pirates the Royal Navy has been involved with in each of the last three months.

Kevan Jones: The number of pirate related incidents in each of the last three months which have involved the Royal Navy are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 August 0 
			 September 1 
			 October 2 
			 November (1)4 
			 (1) Incidents so far

Nuclear Weapons: Decommissioning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to increase the skills available to his Department, its agencies and bodies for which he is responsible for the dismantling of redundant  (a) nuclear warheads,  (b) nuclear submarine reactors and  (c) nuclear production sites.

Quentin Davies: In common with the broader UK nuclear industry, the MOD recognises the long-term challenge of sustaining key nuclear skills. We are working closely with Cogent, the sector skills council that covers the nuclear industry, and with the industrial supply chain, including AWE plc. and Rolls-Royce Submarines as key suppliers on the Nuclear Weapon and Nuclear Propulsion programmes respectively. In addition, we liaise with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Department of Energy to ensure a coherent and co-ordinated approach with the civil nuclear industry and the sharing of best practice.
	Within the MOD, a firm baseline for current and future skills requirements has been established and actions are being taken to address shortages. For example, we have significantly increased graduate recruitment and post-graduate training in the nuclear area and we are implementing advanced modern apprenticeships at a number of UK locations.

Racial Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints of racial abuse relating to staff for which his Department is responsible have been  (a) investigated and  (b) upheld in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: One complaint of racial abuse has been raised by a civilian member of staff in the last 12 months, which is currently the subject of investigation.

Somalia: Piracy

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pirates have been captured off the coast of Somalia by HMS Cumberland; where they are being held; under which legal framework; and if he will make a statement.

Kevan Jones: holding answer 18 November 2008
	 On 11 November Royal Marines from HMS Cumberland interdicted a Yemeni flagged fishing vessel which had been seized by suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Eight suspected Somali pirates were held on board the Yemeni vessel and a Somali skiff during the investigation. They were then transferred by Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel RFA Wave Knight to Kenyan authorities in Mombassa on 18 November. All Royal Navy counter-piracy operations are conducted in accordance with UK domestic and international law including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Tornado Aircraft: Repairs and Maintenance

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tornado GR4 aircraft are awaiting maintenance at RAF Marham.

Quentin Davies: The number of aircraft awaiting forward maintenance at RAF Marham can vary from hour to hour and this information could be obtained by manually checking the records of every individual aircraft, which would only incur disproportionate cost.
	As at 14 November 2008, 14 Tornado GR4 aircraft are awaiting depth maintenance at RAF Marham.

Tornado Aircraft: Repairs and Maintenance

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) contractually determined monthly throughput rate is of Tornado GR4s undergoing maintenance at RAF Marham and  (b) the actual throughput rate for each of the last 12 months.

Quentin Davies: There is no contractually determined monthly throughput of Tornado GR4 aircraft undergoing depth maintenance at RAF Marham. Each Tornado GR4 aircraft undergoes depth maintenance after approximately 820 flying hours.
	BAE Systems is responsible for providing aircraft into the Forward Available Fleet with an aggregate number of flying hours that is sufficient to meet the task agreed with the Front Line Command. The aggregate figure is known as the Bank of Flying Hours and its number reduces through RAF usage and is restored by aircraft completing depth maintenance. The flying hours available have been sufficient to meet deployed operational requirements.

Trident

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions during the initial gate period for the Trident submarine replacement programme he plans to produce a progress report to Parliament.

Quentin Davies: In accordance with the usual practice on major procurement projects, the first full progress report on the programme to maintain the UK's nuclear deterrent will be made after the Initial Gate for the new class of submarines. We expect to publish this report in autumn 2009. There are no plans as yet to provide an interim report.

USA: Nuclear Power

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons are seconded from  (a) his Department and  (b) the Atomic Weapons Establishment to United States Nuclear Research and Development establishments under the provisions of the 1958 UK-US Agreement for co-operation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defence purposes.

Quentin Davies: Numbers of United Kingdom personnel stationed in the United States under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement vary in line with operational and other requirements. Currently there are no Ministry of Defence personnel and four personnel from the Atomic Weapons Establishment on secondment to the United States Nuclear Research and Development establishments under the provisions of the Mutual Defence Agreement.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Bees: Disease Control

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the British Beekeepers' Association on levels of funding for protection of bee health.

Jane Kennedy: The Department has received a number of representations from the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) and its members. The Secretary of State met with the president of the association on the 7 October to discuss a number of honey bee issues, including levels of funding. I have recently received a petition from the BBKA on the same subject.
	I also met recently with representatives from the Honey Association and the Bee Farmers Association to discuss their concerns regarding bee health.

Embassies: Waste Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 March 2008,  Official Report, column 644W, on embassies: waste management, and of 9 January 2008,  Official Report, column 636W, on waste disposal: domestic waste, whether the new charges for the collection of household waste will apply to foreign embassies which are composite hereditaments and domestic properties which are solely occupied by diplomats or will they be exempt under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Jane Kennedy: Participation in a waste incentives scheme by diplomatic and consular agents would be on a voluntary basis.

Gypsum

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to promote the recycling of waste gypsum.

Jane Kennedy: Since 2005, DEFRA has promoted and developed the recycling of waste gypsum—in the form of waste plasterboard—through the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
	WRAP's initiatives have helped all related industry sectors to contribute to diverting plasterboard waste from landfill, through waste reduction, reuse and recycling. These initiatives include:
	Producing guidance for the construction sector on how to reduce plasterboard wastage through careful design and installation, and how to collect waste plasterboard so it can be recycled effectively;
	Direct financial support for capital investment, which has increased plasterboard recycling capacity in the UK by more than 50,000 tonnes;
	Increasing quality in the plasterboard recycling sector. This is being enabled through the publication (through the British Standards Institution) of a Publicly Available Specification (PAS109) which provides a standard for the production of recycled gypsum from waste plasterboard. This document supports work being undertaken jointly by WRAP and the Environment Agency to produce a quality protocol for this material, the effect of which will be to reduce the regulatory burden on the industry sectors, by regarding quality assured recycled gypsum as having ceased to be a waste;
	Developing end use markets for recycled gypsum through research and trials, providing a demand pull for increasing plasterboard recycling; and
	Facilitating a voluntary agreement—the Ashdown Agreement—with the UK plasterboard manufacturers, under which they have made a commitment to increase the quantity of waste plasterboard recycled back into new plasterboard. This voluntary agreement is being extended to other sectors of the gypsum chain.

Severn Barrage: Nature Conservation

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the  (a) species of flora and fauna which would be affected by the construction of a Severn Barrage and  (b) effect on biodiversity in and around the Severn Estuary of such construction.

Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.
	On  (a) the cross-Government Severn Tidal Power feasibility study has commissioned a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and assessing impacts on flora and fauna is an integral part of this process. To date, with the SEA still in the Phase 1 scoping stage, topic papers have been prepared to inform the assessment of impacts on 16 diverse topics, many of which concern flora and fauna including Fish and Fisheries, Ornithology, Marine ecology and Terrestrial and Freshwater ecology. These topic papers have identified further studies which would be required were the study to proceed to Phase 2, following a ministerial review, to enable the assessment of likely affects on flora and fauna to be made by the SEA.
	On  (b) possible effects on biodiversity in and around the Severn Estuary form an integral part of the topic papers as outlined. As well as the Severn Estuary itself, a range of sites with nature conservation designations connect with, or lie in the vicinity of, the Severn Estuary including the Rivers Usk and Wye, and have the potential to be affected by the development of any tidal power option in the Severn Estuary. The formal process of assessment, required under the Habitats Regulations, has commenced with a preliminary screening of sites designated at the European level with the potential to be affected. In addition consideration will be made of nationally designated sites (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) and local Biodiversity Action Plan habitats and species.
	If the feasibility study continues, the proposed scope of the SEA will be published for public consultation early in the new year, together with the topic papers.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 401W, on waste disposal: council tax, 
	(1)  whether domestic properties with a  (a) Class M and  (b) Class N council tax exemption will be liable to pay the new charges for the collection of household waste being trialled in the waste incentive pilot areas;
	(2)  whether domestic properties with a Class V council tax exemption will be liable to pay the new charges for the collection of household waste being trialled in the waste incentive pilot areas.

Jane Kennedy: Pilot authorities will determine which households they wish a waste reduction scheme to cover.
	Participation in a waste incentives scheme by diplomatic and consular agents would be on a voluntary basis.

WALES

Welsh Language: Railways

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Department for Transport, Virgin Trains and Great Western Trains regarding the use of the Welsh language in respect of rail services provided  (a) in Wales and  (b) across the border.

Paul Murphy: None.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register

Eleanor Laing: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the Electoral Commission's latest estimate is of the number of eligible people who are not on the electoral register.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its 2005 report, Understanding Electoral Registration, contains the most recent national estimate for non-registration for England and Wales. The percentage of the eligible household population not on the register at 15 October 2000 was estimated to be between 8 per cent. and 9 per cent., which was equivalent to approximately 3.5 million people.
	The Commission further informs me that the most recent estimate for the number of eligible people aged 18 or older not on the Northern Ireland register was 15.5 per cent., which was equivalent to approximately 200,000 people. This estimate is drawn from the December 2007 Northern Ireland register and was published in the Commission's 2008 report Electoral Registration in Northern Ireland.
	Both reports are available on the Commission's website.

Political Parties: Finance

Peter Luff: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 83W, on political parties: finance, when the Commission proposes to introduce any new requirements.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that its consultation closed on 3 October 2008. The majority of respondents welcomed the Commission's proposals to introduce a standard format for the submission of accounts, but a number of concerns were raised about the proposed timetable for implementation.
	The Commission further informs me that it has considered these concerns carefully and has discussed them with some respondents to the consultation. As a result, the Commission has decided to continue to develop draft new standard requirements and guidance materials in discussion with the political parties, but will not now seek to make the new standard approach mandatory for accounts covering the financial year 2009.
	The Commission anticipates that the new approach will become mandatory for accounts relating to the financial year 2010.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Members: Allowances

Jo Swinson: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission on what date the Commission expects to publish information relating to hon. Members' expenses following the judgment of the divisional court on 16 May 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Work is in train to prepare information relating to Members' expenses for publication. The House will be informed when a date for publication is known.

TRANSPORT

A40: Repairs and Maintenance

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the  (a) initial budget and  (b) cost outturn was for the Highways Agency roadworks on the A40 at Over, Gloucestershire;
	(2)  what the reasons are for the delays in the completion of works to the A40 between Highnam and Over.

Paul Clark: The initial budget for the A40 scheme at Over was £10.8 million. The scheme is not yet complete, so it is too early to provide an outturn cost prior to the agreement of final accounts with all suppliers.
	The scheme incorporates carriageway reconstruction, improved drainage, refurbishment of Over bridge, replacement of street lighting, upgrading of traffic signals, the renewal of safety fencing and construction of a bus lane in collaboration with Gloucestershire county council. Although this has made for a complex scheme, the Highways Agency consider it is essential to run these works together to avoid the need for unscheduled closures in the future.
	The construction works commenced in May 2008 and were programmed to benefit from summer weather. Unfortunately the summer proved to be wetter than anticipated and this, together with the discovery of poorer ground conditions than anticipated, uncharted utilities equipment, and additional repairs to the Over bridge deck, has contributed to an extended programme.

Aviation: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) flights and  (b) low-flying flights to (i) Heathrow and (ii) London City airports there were in (A) 1997 and (B) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table shows the number of flights to Heathrow and London City airports in 1997 and 2007.
	
		
			  Flights to Heathrow and London City 
			  Thousand 
			   1997  2007 
			 Heathrow 215 238 
			 London City 16 39 
			  Source: DfT analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data 
		
	
	The Department does not have data on low-flying flights.

Aviation: Noise

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the meaning is of the term bear down used in the Air Transport White Paper 2003 in relation to aircraft noise; and what the policy of bearing down on aircraft noise entails in relation to aircraft noise  (a) across the UK and  (b) in the vicinity of each UK airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 19 November 2008
	The 2003 The Future of Air Transport White Paper recognised that noise from aircraft operations at night was widely regarded as the least acceptable aspect of aircraft operations and gave a commitment to bear down on night noise accordingly. However the White Paper stated that a fair balance needed to be struck between local disturbance, the limits of social acceptability and the economic benefits of night flights. This should be done on a case-by-case basis.
	The policy to bear down on night noise was expressed in general terms as were the other broad aims for night restrictions including
	"to strike a fair balance between the protection of local communities from excessive aircraft noise levels at night and the provision of air services at night where they are of benefit of the national regional or local economy."
	The Government consider the term to be self explanatory. As part of the recent court action brought by the London boroughs of Wandsworth and Richmond, the claimants argued that the 2006 night restrictions regime did not bear down on noise. The judge found against this argument.
	Outside the three London designated airports where the Secretary of State has direct responsibility for noise abatement measures, the Government consider that local issues such as any noise impacts of a regional airport's operations are best discussed locally. This recognises the wide variation in operational circumstances at individual UK airports. Accordingly airport operators are expected to consult locally to help achieve a reasonable balance between the local environmental impacts, the limits of social acceptability and the economic benefits of the flights.

Aviation: Noise

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's policy is on reducing aircraft noise from  (a) day and  (b) night and early morning flights to and from Heathrow airport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 19 November 2008
	The 2003 The Future of Air Transport White Paper set out the Government's basic aim to limit and, where possible, reduce the number of people in the UK significantly affected by aircraft noise.
	Heathrow airport is designated under section 80 for the purposes of section 78 of the 1982 Civil Aviation Act. This means that the Secretary of State has direct responsibility for noise abatement measures at the airport. Current measures include noise limits, noise preferential routes, monitoring of aircraft noise and track keeping, and powers for the airport to charge by reference to noise. The airport also operates a number of operational procedures to mitigate against aircraft noise such as runway alternation.
	As regards night flights, the Government recognise that noise from aircraft operations at night is widely regarded as the least acceptable aspect of aircraft operations and gave a commitment to bear down on night noise accordingly. However the White Paper stated that a fair balance needed to be struck between local disturbance, the limits of social acceptability and the economic benefits of night flights. This should be done on a case-by-case basis.
	Accordingly there have been restrictions on the operation of night flights at Heathrow for many years. The current restrictions, which took effect from October 2006, recognise both a night period, (2300-0700 hours), and a night quota period, (2330-0600) hours. During the whole of the night period, the noisiest types of aircraft (classified as QC/8 or QC/16) may not be scheduled to land or to take off and they are effectively banned from doing so (other than in the most exceptional circumstances) in the night quota period. The next noisiest types (QC/4) may also no longer be scheduled to operate in the night quota period. In addition, during the night quota period movements by most other types of aircraft (including the new QC/0.25 category) will be restricted by a movements limit and a noise quota, which are set for each season. The seasons change with the clocks.
	The current restrictions take account of environmental objectives and specific noise abatement objectives for Heathrow. These objectives were set out in the Night Flying Restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted decision document of 6 June 2006 which announced the night noise arrangements for Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports from October 2006 to October 2012.

Bus Services: Concessions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the national bus concessionary fares scheme on community rail partnerships.

Paul Clark: At present the Department for Transport has not conducted any research into the effect of the national concession on community rail partnerships. Local authorities have the discretion to offer concessionary travel enhancements to other modes, including community rail, based on their assessment of local needs and circumstances, and many choose to do so. The Department has no immediate plans to extend the coverage of statutory concessions to community rail.

Departmental Postal Services

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department uses the Royal Mail as the primary company for sending its post, parcels and packages.

Geoff Hoon: The Department for Transport uses the Royal Mail as the primary company for sending its post, parcels and packages.

Departmental Public Transport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's staff use public transport to travel to and from work.

Geoff Hoon: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Telephone Services

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has received from the use of revenue sharing phone numbers in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 17 November 2008
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has received the following amounts from its use of revenue sharing phone numbers for each of the last five years.
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 3,381,649 
			 2006-07 2,894,284 
			 2005-06 2,423,517 
			 2004-05 1,945,131 
			 2003-04 874,965 
		
	
	The aforementioned figures include revenue from premium rate services provided for business rather than the public, as well as revenue from use of 0870 numbers.
	DVLA are committed to following OFCOM advice on moving from 0870 numbers to 0300 numbers. This process is already under way but cannot be completed until OFCOM publishes its new guidance on the issue.

Driving Tests: Gravesham

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will estimate the additional average cost to learner drivers from Gravesham if the Gravesend Driving Test Centre is closed and they are subsequently required to travel to the location of an alternative test centre to practise and to take the test; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on what basis current and forecasted  (a) population density,  (b) traffic congestion and  (c) journey time statistics were used to assess the viability of the Gravesend Driving Test Centre and alternative centres for learner drivers from Gravesham.

Jim Fitzpatrick: When considering relocating driving test centres DSA has regard to the resulting travelling distances, rather than traffic congestion or journey times. DSA's service distance criteria for practical car test candidates are:
	
		
			  Population density  Distance criteria 
			 >=1250 km(2) No more than seven miles 
			 101-1249 km(2) No more than 20 miles 
			 0-100 km(2) No more than 30 miles 
		
	
	The distance appropriate to the Gravesend area is 20 miles. The nearest alternatives are at Erith and Gillingham. These centres are within the 20 miles standard and have the capacity to absorb the extra demand without compromising the waiting time service target.
	The closure of Gravesend Driving Test Centre should not significantly increase costs to learner drivers. Learner drivers need to practise on a variety of different roads, and should not focus on driving test routes at their chosen centre.

Heathrow Airport: Construction

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effect of a third runway at Heathrow Airport on the UK's ability to meet EU nitrogen oxide targets.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Our assessment of the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) impacts of adding a third runway was set out in the "Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport" consultation last November and the supporting technical reports published at the same time.

Heathrow Airport: Public Transport

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish targets he has agreed with BAA for increasing the proportion of passengers arriving at and departing from Heathrow via public transport.

Jim Fitzpatrick: It is our policy, as stated in the 2003 Air Transport White Paper, that airport operators should share our objective to increase the proportion of air passengers accessing airports by public transport; and that airport surface access strategies should include targets to this end. They do not require Department for Transport approval.

Lorries: Safety

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will undertake research to evaluate the merits of mandatory fitting of Fresnel lens mirrors on  (a) British and  (b) foreign heavy goods vehicles.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We are already carrying out research to identify what more can usefully be done to improve vision for drivers of heavy goods vehicles. Once this work is completed we will be making detailed proposals for further improvements. However, we cannot take action unilaterally for British or foreign heavy goods vehicles because mandatory vehicle safety standards are drawn up and agreed at international level.

National Contingency Plan

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will discuss with Ministerial colleagues the merits of amending the National Contingency Plan to incorporate cargo-related incidents;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to introduce a comprehensive legislative framework to govern the recovery of cargo involved in shipping incidents in British waters.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I do not envisage introducing further legislative measures to address the recovery of cargo involved in shipping incidents in UK waters, because the merchant shipping legislation already contains a very broad range of provisions covering maritime safety and prevention of pollution. However, the practical aspects of dealing with cargo from a casualty could indeed be considered in the course of the next review of the National Contingency Plan. Indeed, Recommendation R.3 of the recent report from this Department's Maritime and Coastguard Agency entitled "MSC Napoli Incident: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Response" already includes text which proposes that, during the next review of the National Contingency Plan, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
	"could also cover mechanisms for dealing with beached material other than oil and chemicals".

Railways: Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with First Great Western Trains and Virgin Trains on the use of the Welsh language in respect of  (a) rail services provided in Wales and  (b) cross-border rail services.

Paul Clark: The Secretary of State has had no discussions with First Great Western or Virgin Trains on the use of the Welsh language.

Rolling Stock

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on the involvement of rolling stock companies in the procurement and funding of new trains;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on future private investment in the procurement and funding of new trains.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport's policy was most recently set out in the rolling stock plan published in January 2008, available at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/rollingstock/rollingstockplan

Thames Gateway Crossing

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial contribution his Department plans to make to the Thames Gateway road crossing in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12,  (c) 2012-13,  (d) 2013-14 and  (e) 2014-15.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Transport for London Business Plan confirmed that the Mayor has now decided not to pursue the Thames Gateway Bridge project in the form submitted to the recent public inquiry. On that basis, the Department for Transport is expecting formal notification that the £350 million of PFI credits, offered by the Government to support the scheme, will not now be required. A decision on funding any alternative will, of course, be subject to the Mayor's decision as to what, if anything, should take the scheme's place.

TREASURY

Bank Services

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of depositors in Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) who were unable to bank in the UK because of overseas residence.

Ian Pearson: No such estimate has been made.

Bank Services: Charities

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1094-5W, on bank services, if he will put in place arrangements to support charities not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Ian Pearson: If a charity is eligible to claim compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, it will be entitled to benefit from these arrangements. Charities which are ineligible for FSCS compensation will be creditors of the failed banks in the normal way. Tailored guidance for charities is available on the Charity Commission's website at:
	www.charitycommission.gov.uk.

Cash Dispensing

David Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 17 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 37-38WS, on free cash machines (low-income areas), how many sites for the 600 proposed free automatic teller machines have now been identified.

Ian Pearson: As stated by the former Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 2008, the Government will issue a final statement on progress towards meeting the recommendations of the ATM Working Group, including the number of agreed sites, in December 2008.

Child Trust Fund: Wales

Alun Michael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Child Trust Fund take-up rates were for  (a) each constituency in Wales and  (b) each ward in the Cardiff South and Penarth constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ian Pearson: The latest constituency data on Child Trust Fund accounts was published on 6 November 2008 and can be viewed on HM Revenue and Customs website:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ctf/cons-stats-oct08.pdf.
	Statistics by wards are not available.

Departmental Information Officers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time equivalent press officers  (a) work and  (b) provide assistance to his Department.

Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 680W.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many page hits from how many visitors his Department's website received in 2007-08.

Angela Eagle: In 2007-08 18,686,268 pages were viewed by 3,174,007 visitors to:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of maintaining his Department's website was in 2007-08; and what the forecast costs for maintaining websites within his responsibility are for the 2008-09 financial year.

Angela Eagle: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 13 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1312W, on website costs.
	The forecast costs for maintaining websites within the Chancellor's responsibility in 2008-09 are as follows:
	
		
			  Website address  Forecast costs 2008-09 (£) 
			 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk 185,193 
			 www.thegfp.treasury.gov.uk 0 
			 www.isb.gov.uk 9,750 
			 www.stakeholdersavings.gov.uk 1— 
			 www.ges.gov.uk 0 
			 (1) Unavailable 
		
	
	Until November the following sites were hosted on a shared server at a forecasted cost of £9,289. In November the sites were transferred to the servers which host the main website and costs are absorbed by the main site. The following table shows any additional forecast maintenance costs:
	
		
			   £ 
			 www.gsr.gov.uk — 
			 www.euro.gov.uk 7,650 
			 www.financialinclusion-taskforce.org.uk — 
			 www.financial-reporting.gov.uk — 
		
	
	Maintenance costs includes direct costs, for example web hosting, support, and infrastructure.
	Staff costs are not included in the forecast as they could be established only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Liability

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates in each of the last five years his Department informed the House of the creation of contingent liabilities relating to his Department or its non-departmental public bodies.

Angela Eagle: Details of contingent liabilities and related Treasury Minutes can be found in the Contingent Assets and Liabilities note to the relevant years' Resource Accounts. Copies of the Treasury's Resource Accounts are available from:
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/resource_accounting_and_budgeting_about_us.htm

Departmental NDPBs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; and what budget each has been set for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury does not sponsor any non-departmental public bodies.
	The remit and projected budgets for the organisations that make up the Treasury Group can be found in the Treasury's Annual Report: 2007-08. Copies of the Annual Report can be found on the Treasury's website and in Parliament's Library.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letters of 31 July and 8 September 2008 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of his constituent, Alex Layard.

Stephen Timms: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Non-Domestic Rates: Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 September 2008,  Official Report, column 1988W, on empty property: regeneration, whether his Department has received representations from urban regeneration companies on the effect of increases in empty property business rates since that Answer was given.

Angela Eagle: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of such representations.

Revenue and Customs: Databases

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 103-4W, on Revenue and Customs: databases, what personal details are held on the central frameworks database.

Stephen Timms: Personal attributes held for individuals are:
	NINO-national insurance number;
	Surname
	First Name;
	Second Forename;
	Initials;
	Title;
	Honours;
	Sex;
	Date of Birth;
	Date of Death;
	Address.

Revenue and Customs: Databases

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 103-4W, on Revenue and Customs: databases, what guidelines there are on  (a) the addition of an individual's personal details to and  (b) the confidentiality of records held on the central frameworks database.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs is statutorily obliged to safeguard personal information and all staff have a responsibility for data security, with a view to ensuring that personal details are only made available to those legally entitled to them.

Revenue and Customs: Databases

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 103-4W, on Revenue and Customs: databases, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost of maintaining the central frameworks database.

Stephen Timms: The service charges for the 2007-08 financial year were £7.5 million.

Revenue and Customs: Databases

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 103-4W, on Revenue and Customs: databases, what the definition is of a business need required to allow staff access to the Taxpayer Business Service.

Stephen Timms: In the context of the Taxpayer Business Service, a business need is defined as a purpose which is connected solely, and wholly, to matters for which H.M. Revenue and Customs has statutory responsibility.

Revenue and Customs: South West

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the proposed closure of the Penzance HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office upon  (a) net average incomes in the area,  (b) HMRC's services to the public,  (c) the cost of accommodation in the area,  (d) HMRC relocation costs and expenses and  (e) the local economy; and what other effects his Department has assessed.

Stephen Timms: HMRC has reviewed all its accommodation to align it to future business requirements, and thereby create efficiency savings and reduce overall accommodation costs. It has proposed closing the Penzance office because, with the exception of the inquiry centre offering face to face advice to HMRC customers, the business units which are currently represented there can operate more efficiently by consolidating in fewer locations. No final decision has yet been taken on the future of the Penzance office.
	If the office were to close, HMRC expects most staff to relocate to another office within reasonable daily travel. They would be given help with any additional travelling expenses. There would thus be little effect either on net average incomes or on the local economy.
	Whatever the decision on the future of the Penzance office, HMRC services to the public will be unaffected as the inquiry centre services will remain in Penzance and will be staffed according to customer demand.

Revenue and Customs: South West

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the 21 HM Revenue and Customs offices in the Government office of the South West region which are to be closed or substantially closed under the Workforce Change proposals are  (a) leased from Mapeley,  (b) leased from another landlord and  (c) owned by the Government; how many years remain on the lease of each relevant office; what costs or penalties will be incurred for bringing the lease to an early termination in each relevant case; and what assessment he has made of whether each such office is capable of being used for another purpose for the duration of the lease.

Stephen Timms: Of the 21 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices identified for possible full or part closure by the Workforce Change proposals:
	 (a) 17 are included in its strategic transfer of the estate to the private sector (STEPS) contract with its estate partner, Mapeley;
	 (b) no offices are leased from another landlord; and
	 (c) four are locations where HMRC occupies space by arrangement with other Government Departments.
	HMRC occupies the properties under the terms of the STEPS contract rather than by the terms of a traditional lease. This contract expires on 31 March 2021, but HMRC will be able to continue to occupy beyond this date and also has flexibility within the contract to vacate properties prior to this expiry date.
	If, as it intends, HMRC makes use of the contract's flexibility allowances to vacate properties, its liability under the terms of the contract will terminate in line with its vacation. With that level of flexibility to exploit in the contract, there is no requirement to consider alternative purposes.

Revenue and Customs: South West

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely  (a) cost and  (b) savings associated with contracts for the lease of office premises resulting from the HM Revenue and Customs Workforce Change proposals for the Government Office of the South West.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' (HMRC) work force change proposals for the south-west relate to office premises that are either held by inter-departmental (non-lease) arrangements with other Departments or are held under its 20-year STEPS (strategic transfer of the estate to the private sector) contract with its estates partner, Mapeley, which commenced in 2001. Instead of contracts for lease for these premises, HMRC occupies space under the terms of this contract. The STEPS contract provides HMRC with the flexibility to reduce a proportion of its estates holding without penalty subject to a notice period (usually 12 months). HMRC intends to fully utilise this flexibility to achieve office vacations at nil cost where possible to support the work force change proposals. An assessment of whether possible exit costs may be incurred, whether in the south-west or elsewhere, is dependent on the timing of the specific vacation and will be considered as part of HMRC's wider UK proposals as decisions are taken to vacate properties.
	In the event that the proposals for the south-west are implemented, HMRC estimates that the resultant estates running costs savings would be approximately £3,991,000 per annum.

HEALTH

Asbestos: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people required treatment for asbestos-related conditions in Tamworth constituency in each year since 1997.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

Departmental Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for which Government websites his Department is responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost of maintaining each site was in that period.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has ownership of two main websites. They are:
	 1. Department of Health website:
	www.dh.gov.uk
	 2. NHS Choices:
	www.nhs.uk
	 Number of unique visitors: April 2007 to March 2008
	Department of Health website: 10,445,831
	NHS Choices: 11,766,137
	 Costs of maintaining these two sites: April  20 07  to March  20 08
	Department of Health website: £1.169 million
	NHS Choices: £5.13 million
	The NHS Choices service, which incorporates the original www.nhs.uk site, was launched in June 2007. NHS Choices is a new service for communicating with citizens and stakeholders in healthcare, health improvement and social care, the public and the media.
	The Department has signed a contract with Capita plc to drive forward the NHS Choices service for the next three years. This investment demonstrates the Department of Health's commitment to secure the ongoing delivery and development of NHS/Department of Health digital services to the public. This contract is valued at £60 million-£80 million for the three years.
	NHS Choices has increased rapidly since its introduction, with recorded visits in excess of three million for October 2008.
	In addition to the two main websites above, the Department currently funds and/or manages a further 99 websites.
	The Department is actively engaged in reducing this number of websites, in accordance with the guidelines and timescales set for website rationalisation under Transformational Government. By the end of this project in 2011, all 99 websites will have been closed.
	To gather visitor figures and maintenance costs for these 99 would incur disproportionate costs.

Diabetes: Hampshire

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) type 1 and  (b) type 2 diabetes have been diagnosed in people of each age group in each primary care trust area in Hampshire in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: Information is not collected in the format requested. Information is available from 2004-05 from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) about patients who are on diabetes disease registers, which is not the same as the number of people diagnosed with diabetes each year. This information does not distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, nor is it separated into different age groups.
	The following table shows the number of patients aged 17 and over who were on diabetes disease registers in primary care trusts (PCTs) in Hampshire from 2004-05 to 2007-08.
	
		
			  Number of patients on diabetes disease registers in Hampshire PCTs 
			  PCT name  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Blackwater Valley and Hart PCT 5,204 5,606 n/a n/a 
			 East Hampshire PCT 7,465 7,864 n/a n/a 
			 Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT 4,398 4,669 n/a n/a 
			 Fareham and Gosport PCT 6,581 6,900 n/a n/a 
			 Mid-Hampshire PCT 4,807 4,956 n/a n/a 
			 New Forest PCT 5,920 6,387 n/a n/a 
			 North Hampshire PCT 6,119 6,567 n/a n/a 
			 Hampshire PCT n/a n/a 43,758 46,491 
			 n/a = Not applicable.  Notes: 1. Hampshire PCT was created on 1 October 2006 from a complete merger of Blackwater Valley and Hart PCT, East Hampshire PCT, Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT, Fareham and Gosport PCT, Mid-Hampshire PCT, New Forest PCT and North Hampshire PCT. 2. Patients will contribute to the QOF figures only if they are registered with a general practice participating in the QOF. 3. QOF data is collected annually and includes only people with diabetes aged 17 and over. 4. Figures are not available broken down into type 1 and type 2 diabetes.  Source: Information Centre for health and social care

Doctors: Training

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide doctors with training on communication with patients about the costs of different treatment approaches.

Ann Keen: In his report 'Improving access to medicines for NHS patients', a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. Professor Mike Richards recommended that doctors who are likely to have conversations with patients about unfunded treatments should ensure that they have the necessary communication skills to give patients the information they need on the risks, benefits and costs involved in any potential treatment. The Secretary of State has accepted this recommendation, and has asked Professor Richards to take this work forward as quickly as possible. Professor Richards has started this piece of work and is aiming for the training to be rolled out following the development and successful piloting and evaluation of a training 'module'.

Drugs: Internet

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to prevent the sale of untested and illegal pharmaceutical drugs via the internet; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what correspondence his Department has received in support of an increase in penalties for individuals selling untested pharmaceuticals on the internet; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) actively monitors the availability of medicines being offered online using specialist equipment and resources focused on identifying websites operating within the UK. Robust action is taken when illegal activity is detected.
	Several initiatives are under way to communicate risks posed by online supply of medicines to consumers and potential customers, both by MHRA acting as regulator or in conjunction with relevant organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
	MHRA is not aware of any specific correspondence relating to increasing the penalties with regard to selling medicines via the internet. Penalties under medicines legislation extend to a maximum of two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

General Practitioners: Cambridgeshire

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what savings were made by GP practices in the NHS Cambridgeshire area through the practice-based commission scheme in 2007-08;
	(2)  what the savings were of each GP practice under the practice-based commissioning scheme in the NHS Cambridgeshire (formerly Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust) area, ranked in order from the highest to the lowest level of savings.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect information centrally on the level of savings achieved at a local level by practice based commissioners.

General Practitioners: Pharmacy

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that the availability of over-the-counter medicines from GP dispensing practices proposed in the Pharmacy White Paper does not affect the viability of community pharmacies in non-rural areas;
	(2)  what form the peer review audit of the Medicines Use Reviews (MURs) by primary care trusts proposed in the Pharmacy White Paper will take; and whether general practitioners will have a role in selecting patients for MURs.

Phil Hope: Consultation on a number of proposals for legislative and structural reform to national health service pharmaceutical services arising from the White Paper "Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths—delivering the future" closed on 20 November 2008.
	This included five options to permit the sale of over the counter medicines by general practitioner dispensing practices. We published our assessment of the impact of these proposals, including on other providers such as pharmacies, alongside that consultation. We are updating these assessments in the light of responses received. We will decide which, if any, option to pursue after full consideration.
	The White Paper makes clear we are concerned that the provision of Medicines Use Review (MUR) services is currently geared to rewarding the volume of MURs undertaken. NHS primary care trusts are concerned that MUR services are not being targeted to local needs and patient priorities and that their quality is inconsistent. We believe it is necessary for MUR services to be prioritised to meet health needs. NHS Employers and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee is therefore discussing a mechanism for delivering this objective and ensuring funding rewards health outcomes. We hope general practitioners will support the local development of MUR services by advising on how best health needs can be targeted.

Health Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 83W, on health centres, what the potential risks of starting a new service are.

Ben Bradshaw: The potential risks are similar to those from starting any new primary care service including: variations in patient volumes, the contract value set at the wrong level and services are in the wrong place or do not meet the needs of local people. However, the process being used by primary care trusts to secure these new services provides an effective way to manage these risks.

Health Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2008,  Official Report, column 64W, on health centres, what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects on revenues of  (a) an existing GP practice and  (b) a new GP-led health centre in circumstances where a patient deregisters with the existing GP practice and reregisters at the GP-led health centre.

Ben Bradshaw: Where a patient chooses to leave their existing registered practice to register with a new General Practitioner (GP)-led health centre, the existing practice's registered population will decrease by one, and its global sum weighted capitation payment will reduce proportionately. The new GP-led health centre will be paid according to the contract with the primary care trust on the basis of an agreed local, equitable price per patient.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP referrals were made for  (a) inpatient and  (b) outpatient treatment in each of the last eight quarters.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not collect centrally the number of General Practitioner (GP) referrals made for in-patient treatment.
	The total number of GP referrals for a first consultant out-patient appointment in the last eight quarters are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  GP written referrals for first out-patient appointment (consultant-led), all specialties, England, provider based 
			  Quarter  GP Referrals Made 
			 September 2006 2,338,430 
			 December 2006 2,247,374 
			 March 2007 2,353,613 
			 June 2007 2,321,413 
			 September 2007 2,401,911 
			 December 2007 2,375,984 
			 March 2008 2,539,721 
			 June 2008 2,740,616 
			  Source: Department of Health, QAR (Quarterly Activity Return)

Hospitals: Yorkshire and Humber

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many delayed discharges there were from  (a) the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton,  (b) York District Hospital and  (c) Harrogate Hospital in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.

Maternity Services

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2008,  Official Report, column 524W, on maternity services, what  (a) standalone midwifery units and  (b) midwifery units situated alongside consultant-led units there are in each region of England.

Ann Keen: The following table shows the number of standalone midwifery units and the number of midwife led units situated alongside consultant led units by strategic health authority (SHA).
	
		
			  SHA  Standalone units  Units situated alongside consultant led units 
			 East Midlands 3 1 
			 East of England 5 3 
			 London 2 7 
			 North East 4 0 
			 North West 4 3 
			 South Central 10 4 
			 South East Coast 3 0 
			 South West 16 3 
			 West Midlands 5 3 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 5 1 
			 Total 57 25 
			  Source:  Healthcare Commission's review of maternity services in England (January 2008).

Maternity Services

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2008,  Official Report, column 524W, on maternity services, when the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts came into operation.

Ann Keen: The Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) came into operation on 1 March 1996. The scheme may only apply to claims made against member bodies where the incident took place on or after 1 April 1995. Further information about CNST can be obtained from the NHS Litigation Authority's website at:
	www.nhsla.com

Melanotan

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the use of melanotan; and whether NICE is undertaking any work in relation to melanotan.

Dawn Primarolo: We have not had any discussions with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on the use of melanotan and NICE is not undertaking any work in relation to this drug.

Melanotan

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with regulators on the safety of Melanotan.

Dawn Primarolo: Medicinal products are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), part of the Department of Health. The MHRA considers that the unlicensed, injectible products Melanotan I and II fall within the definition of a medicinal product. Unlicensed medicinal products may not be advertised or placed on the market. As the Melanotan products are not licensed, the MHRA has no data to show that they are safe or of good quality.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mental health beds are in  (a) single rooms and  (b) mixed areas.

Ann Keen: At 31 March 2008, the number of single bedded rooms in mental health trusts was 17,894 and the number of beds not in single rooms was 5,454. These figures do not include mental health beds provided by other trusts.

Mental Health Services: Hospital Beds

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of providing all mental health unit beds in single sex accommodation.

Ann Keen: The Department estimated the cost of achieving 100 per cent. single bedrooms in mental health trusts and community with mental health trusts as being 3.9 billion at current prices earlier this year.

NHS Direct: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Enfield Primary Care Trust area have consulted NHS Direct in each year since 2000.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Calls to NHS Direct 0845 line from the Enfield PCT area 
			   Number 
			 2001 6,642 
			 2002 11,245 
			 2003 12,290 
			 2004 12,493 
			 2005 12,077 
			 2006 22,863 
			 2007 22,444 
		
	
	Data are available only from 2001 onwards.

NHS: ICT

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 444W, on medical records: data protection, when the Information Commissioner made the statement on new NHS systems referred to in the answer; and if he will publish in full the document containing the statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The views attributed to the Information Commissioner in the answer are taken from two sources. The first is the second paragraph of the Information Commissioner's response to the consultation, launched in October 2002, on the Department's 'Information for Life' confidentiality proposals. The other is a statement the Commissioner made in a document he published in January 2007 in the wake of inquiries he had received from people who had seen articles in the media relating to the introduction of electronic care records. The consultation response has been placed in the Library. The published statement is available from the Information Commissioner's Office website at:
	http://www.ico.gov.uk/about_us/news_and_views/current_topics/NHS_electronic_care_records.aspx

NHS: Negligence

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been paid out by the NHS in compensation to patients in each of the last three years; and how much has been paid out in legal costs in connection with medical negligence compensation cases by each English hospital trust outside London in each of those years.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been placed in the Library. The information was obtained from the NHS Litigation Authority.

NHS: Standardisation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS organisations are members of GS1.

Ann Keen: On 18 November 2008, there were 164 registrations of national health service organisations in England with GS1. In most cases these are for individual hospital sites, and in some cases individual departments within hospitals, as the number of items requiring coding in some large departments warrants an individual registration.
	Of these 164, 59 are actively using coding at the present time. The remainder are developing implementation plans.

NHS: Standardisation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of  (a) medicines and  (b) medical supplies to the NHS are being supplied with GS1 standardised barcodes.

Ann Keen: These figures are not held centrally.

NHS: Standardisation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many automated dispensing systems are in place in the NHS.

Ann Keen: The purchase of automated dispensing systems is an investment decision for local national health service organisations, and definitive figures are not held centrally. As of March 2008, the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency was aware of approximately 75 automated dispensing systems in hospital pharmacy departments across the United Kingdom, of which seven are in Wales, and the remainder in England.

NHS: Standardisation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients involved in safety incidents in NHS organisations which  (a) are and  (b) are not members of GS1.

Ann Keen: The most recently published data from the National Patient Safety Agency's (NS reporting and learning system (RLS) indicate that during the period April to June 2008, 276,839 incidents were submitted to the RLS from 377 national health service organisations in England and Wales. This information has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NPSA's website at: www.npsa.nhs.uk/nrls/patient-safety-incident-data/quarterly-data-reports. Analysis to compare the numbers of incidents in organisations that are and are not registered with GS1 is not available currently.

North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust: Doctors

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors per 100,000 residents there were in the area covered by the North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust in each year between 1997 and 2007.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. However, the following table shows all doctors(1) by specified organisations(2) as at 30 September 2002-07.
	
		
			  General and personal medical services and hospital and community health services (HCHS) 
			Total specified organisations  North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT)  Selby and York PCT  Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT  Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT  Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT 
			 2002 All doctors 671 n/a 237 128 180 126 
			  per 100,000 population 88.8 n/a 86.6 107.6 87.5 80 
			 
			 2003 All doctors 704 n/a 246 137 191 130 
			  per 100,000 population 92.7 n/a 89.7 113.8 92.5 82.3 
			 
			 2004 All doctors 741 n/a 267 139 205 130 
			  per 100,000 population 96.9 n/a 96.5 114.6 98.5 81.8 
			 
			 2005 All doctors 762 n/a 284 135 204 139 
			  per 100,000 population 99.1 n/a 101.6 111.9 97.3 87.5 
			 
			 2006 All doctors 761 761 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  per 100,000 population 97.1 97.1 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 
			 2007 All doctors 795 100.8 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			  per 100,000 population 795 100.8 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 (1) Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are general practitioners working part time in hospitals (2) These figures exclude HCHS Doctors that work in Hospital Trusts within the area  Notes: 1. Prior to 2002 PCTs did not exist. Therefore it is not possible to map the trusts contained within the table back any further than this with any degree of accuracy. 2. North Yorkshire and York PCT was created on 1 October 2006 from a complete merger of Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT, Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT, Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT and Selby and York PCT. 3. Data quality: Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 national health service trusts and PCTs in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics Office of National Statistics mid year population estimates based on 2001

North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust: Pay

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust on salaries and wages for  (a) general and senior managers,  (b) nurses and midwives and (c) administrative and clerical staff in each year since its creation.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected in the format requested.
	Information on wage costs for North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT) staff is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  000 
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			 Managers and Senior Managers 11,709 10,442 
			 Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Staff 56,930 54,628 
			 Administrative and Clerical Staff 10,427 12,076 
			  Notes: 1. North Yorkshire and York PCT was established on 1 October 2006 from four dissolving PCTs: Hambleton and Richmondshire PCT; Craven, Harrogate and Rural District PCT; Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCT; and Selby and York PCT. 2. The 2006-07 figures include data for the four former PCTs for the first six months of the financial year plus North Yorkshire and York PCT for the second half of the year and may be distorted due to the merger. It is not possible to split the data between the former PCTs and North Yorkshire and York PCT. 3. Data are from the 2006-07 and 2007-08 financial returns for North Yorkshire and York PCT. These data are not audited but are validated to the audited financial monitoring and accounts forms. 4. Data include salaries and wages, social security costs and pension contributions. It is not possible to separately identify salaries and wages for these groups of staff. 5. Figures include permanently employed staff and non-national health service (NHS) staff (eg agency staff).

Oral Health

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2008,  Official Report, column 826W, on employment of oral health specialists, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Choosing Better Oral Health report.

Ann Keen: In September 2007 we published 'Delivering Better Oral Health: An evidence-based toolkit for prevention' which contains guidance to dentists and members of dental teams care teams on oral health promotion, prevention of dental disease and advice to primary care trusts on commissioning these services. A copy of the publication has been placed in the Library. Earlier this year the Chief Dental Officer and colleagues contributed to three regional conferences on implementation of the toolkit. Our oral health promotion programme has also included reforming the legislation governing the fluoridation of water to give communities with high levels of dental disease a real option of having their water fluoridated. And we continue to promote the Brushing for Life scheme whereby health visitors and other health professionals give families with young children a free pack containing a tube of fluoridated toothpaste, a toothbrush and a leaflet on oral hygiene. To provide for appropriately trained staff to undertake these tasks we are conducting a review of dental public health capacity which addresses the requirement for consultants in dental public health and oral health improvement officers.

Pharmacy: Winchester

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescription items have been dispensed  (a) by dispensing doctors in Winchester and the Meon Valley and  (b) in the community by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors in Winchester and the Meon Valley in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: Data are not collected in the format requested. The number of prescription items that have been dispensed in the community by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and by dispensing doctors is available for primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The figures are based on a one in 20 sample of prescriptions. It is not possible to separate the figures for community pharmacists and appliance contractors so the combined figure is given in each case. The figures provided are for the PCT which is the closest match to the Winchester and the Meon Valley, namely Hampshire PCT and its predecessor bodies(1).
	(1) Hampshire PCT was created on 1 October 2006 from a complete merger of Blackwater Valley and Hart PCT, East Hampshire PCT, Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT, Fareham and Gosport PCT, Mid-Hampshire PCT, New Forest PCT and North Hampshire PCT.
	
		
			  Prescription items dispensed  2007  2006  2005 
			 Dispensing doctors 1,113,870 1,275,236 1,348,538 
			 Community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors 15,223,861 15,997,960 16,939,424 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis data Exemption Category Estimates, Information Centre for health and social care.

Phenylketonuria

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of phenylketonuria have been diagnosed in the last 12 months; and how many of these have led to a grant of disability living allowance.

Ann Keen: Information on diagnosis is not available in the format requested. However, Hospital Episode Statistics show that in 2006-07 there were 15 finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis was classic phenylketonuria (PKU). These admissions do not represent the number of inpatients as a patient may have been admitted to hospital more than once. Nor do they represent instances where PKU may have been diagnosed in a primary care setting and the patient was not admitted to hospital for treatment.
	The number of claims for a disability living allowance, following a diagnosis of PKU, is a matter for the Department for Work and Pensions.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Young People

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of the number of 16 to 25 year olds who have been screened for sexually transmitted infections in each strategic health authority area.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on the number of sexual health screens in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics by age group are not available centrally. The following table gives the total number of sexual health screens in GUM in 2007 (the latest date for which figures are available), in each strategic health authority (SHA).
	In addition to GUM screens, the National Chlamydia Screening programme (NCSP) has been screening for chlamydia since 2003. The following table includes the number of 16 to 24-year-olds tested between 1 January and 30 September 2008, in each SHA.
	
		
			  SHA Name  Sexual health screens in GUM clinics  Total number of chlamydia tests by the NCSP 
			 East Midlands 70,268 18,019 
			 East of England 94,113 23,960 
			 London 294,568 64,854 
			 North East 43,413 19,607 
			 North West 128,787 70,145 
			 South Central 75,534 27,042 
			 South East Coast 69,169 20,215 
			 South West 81,406 37,361 
			 West Midlands 78,528 34,019 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 87,015 43,923 
			 England 1,022,801 359,145 
			  Notes:  KC60 return  1. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for screens and diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset.  2. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are the number of sexual health screens conducted, not the number of patients screened. Individual patients may have had more than one screen throughout the year.  3. Data are by area of GUM clinic and not patients' area of residence.  4. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data.  5. Sexual health screens in GUM clinics include a test for chlamydia and gonorrhoea as a minimum. Testing for HIV and syphilis may also be included.  The National Chlamydia Screening Programme Core Dataset  6. The data from the NCSP core dataset are for chlamydia screens made outside of GUM clinics only.  7. The data available from the NCSP are the number of tests conducted and not the number of patients seen.  8. Data are based on SHA of residence.  9. The data presented includes all tests done through the NCSP, which includes screening tests, diagnostic tests, and tests of sexual contacts.  Source:  Health Protection Agency, KC60 returns; The National Chlamydia Screening Programme Core Dataset.

Slaughterhouses: Inspections

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many inspections of abattoirs were conducted by the Meat Hygiene Service in each of the last five years; and what the average number of inspections was during the period.

Dawn Primarolo: The Meat Hygiene Service is responsible for official controls in all approved fresh meat establishments including abattoirs. It carries out these controls in abattoirs through ante and post-mortem inspection of every animal/carcase and, through audit, on a risk-based frequency, of operator compliance with all relevant legislation.

Surgery: Waiting Lists

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for  (a) heart and  (b) cancer operations in the area covered by South Staffordshire primary care trust were in the last 12 months.

Ann Keen: The information is not collected in the format requested. However, figures for median days waited for a heart operation and finished consultant episodes where a heart operation was the main or secondary procedure where South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) was the PCT of responsibility in 2006-07 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  National health service hospitals England and activity performed in the independent sector in England commissioned by English NHS. 
			  South Staffordshire PCT of responsibility  2006-07 
			 Median waiting time 60 
			 Finished consultant episodes 3,080 
			  Notes:  1. 2006-07 is the most recent currently available annual data.  2. Time waited (days)Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period, whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. HES also calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.  3. Finished consultant episode (FCE)An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which the FCE finishes. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  4. Number of episodes with a (named) main or secondary procedureThese figures represent the number of episodes where the procedure (or intervention) was recorded in any of the 24 (12 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and four prior to 2002-03) operative procedure fields in a HES record. A record is only included once in each count, even if the procedure is recorded in more than one operative procedure field of the record. Please note that more procedures are carried out than episodes with a main or secondary procedure. For example, patients under going a 'cataract operation' would tend to have at least two proceduresremoval of the faulty lens and the fitting of a new onecounted in a single episode.  5. Main procedureThe main procedure is the first recorded procedure or intervention in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main procedure when looking at admission details, (eg time waited), but a more complete count of episodes with a particular procedure is obtained by looking at the main and the secondary procedure.  6. Data qualityHES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  7. Ungrossed dataFigures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in the data, i.e. the data are ungrossed.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	Statistics on average waiting times for cancer patients and average waiting times for different types of cancer treatment are not collected centrally. Cancer waiting times' standards of a maximum wait of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment, and a maximum wait of 62 days from urgent referral for suspected cancer to first cancer treatment were introduced for all cancer patients from December 2005. In the last quarter (April to June 2008) national performance against these standards was 99.6 per cent. and 97.1 per cent. respectively.

Tuberculosis

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of persons treated for tuberculosis who were living in (i) private and (ii) social housing in the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: This data are not collected centrally. The Health Protection Agency does not collect data on type of residence of tuberculosis cases.

York Hospitals NHS Trust: Manpower

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent  (a) medical consultants,  (b) other medical staff,  (c) nurses,  (d) other professional staff,  (e) administrative and clerical staff and  (f) auxiliary staff were employed by York NHS Trust, excluding those transferred to Selby and York Primary Care Trust, in all its areas of activity in each year since 1996-97.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the required format.
	Information on national health service staff in the York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by main staff group as at 30 September each specified year is shown in the following table. It is not possible to exclude the number of staff who transferred to Selby and York primary care trust.
	
		
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 All hospital, community and public health services (HCHS) medical and dental consultants 102 98 110 109 120 113 119 131 149 155 158 
			  Of which:
			 Medical consultant 97 93 103 104 115 108 114 125 144 150 152 
			 
			 All HCHS other medical and dental staff 159 176 172 171 138 124 174 189 195 215 222 
			  Of which:
			 Medical other 153 166 161 160 131 119 166 180 184 206 212 
			 
			 All non-medical staff 3,399 3,230 3,234 3,451 2,967 2,605 2,817 2,927 2,958 3,149 3,067 
			 
			 Professionally qualified clinical staff 1,771 1,667 1,707 1,840 1,476 1,270 1,335 1,393 1,430 1,539 1,517 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 1,362 1,235 1,268 1,375 1,132 915 948 990 1,023 1,111 1,071 
			 Qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical staff 409 431 438 465 344 355 387 402 407 428 446 
			 Qualified allied health professions 228 246 245 257 154 169 187 195 194 206 214 
			 Qualified health care scientists n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 94 98 105 113 111 
			 Other qualified scientific, therapeutic and technical (STT) staff 181 186 193 208 189 186 106 109 109 109 121 
			 
			 Support to clinical staff 1,021 974 945 1,014 936 788 885 908 908 1,009 968 
			 Support to doctors and nursing staff 915 866 832 887 783 605 688 707 696 793 764 
			 Support to STT staff 105 108 113 128 153 183 197 201 212 217 203 
			 
			 NHS infrastructure support 602 583 576 591 554 548 597 626 621 600 583 
			 Central functions 166 155 190 208 171 183 196 215 202 184 246 
			 Hotel, property and estates 344 331 290 291 299 286 304 311 320 302 303 
			 Managers and senior managers 92 97 96 92 84 79 97 100 99 114 33 
			 
			 Other staff or those with unknown classification 6 6 7 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 n/a = Not applicable. Figures for health care scientists were not separately identifiable until 2003.  Notes: 1. In 2002, a number of staff migrated from York Hospitals NHS Trust to form Selby and York PCT. It is impossible to identify and retroactively remove the numbers of these staff from earlier years. 2. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number. 3. Work force statistics are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data. Processing methods and procedures are continually being updated to improve data quality. Where this happens, any impact on figures already published will be assessed but unless this is significant at national level, they will not be changed. Where there is impact only at detailed or local level, this will be footnoted in relevant analyses.  Sources: 1. The Information Centre for health and social care Non-Medical Workforce Census. 2. The Information Centre for health and social care Medical and Dental Workforce Census.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Members: Allowances

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Leader of the House how many hon. Members have been required to make repayments of their communications allowance following investigations by the Standards and Privileges Committee since the allowance was introduced; and how much was repaid in each case.

Chris Bryant: The communications allowance was introduced at the beginning of the 2007-08 financial year. Since that time, five Members have repaid a total of 16,811.51 following inquiries by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards which were reported to the Committee. The figures are as follows:
	
		
			   Member   
			 2007-08 Sadiq Khan 500 
			 2007-08 Elfyn Llwyd 5,169.82 
			 2007-08 Adam Price 5,471.55 
			 2007-08 Hywel Williams 5,170.14 
			 2008-09 Mark Hunter 500 
			 Total  16,811.51

Members: Pensions

Paul Rowen: To ask the Leader of the House how many hon. Members have chosen to exercise each of the options available under the hon. Members' pension scheme.

Chris Bryant: Members have two principal options in relation to the pension scheme.
	The first is whether to remain in the scheme or, to opt out. This option is available upon election to the House and at any time prior to ceasing to serve as a Member of Parliament. The second is to decide whether to pay contributions at 10 per cent. of pay and build up pension at the rate of 1/40th of final salary, or to opt to pay the lower 6 per cent. contribution rate and build up pension at the rate of 1/50th of final salary. There is currently no opportunity for Members to change the contribution rate they pay.
	586 Members have their pension calculated on the 1/40th pension rate. 55 have their pension calculated on the 1/50th pension rate.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Science

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department proposes to take in order to increase public interest in science.

David Lammy: Our Science and Society consultation received over 3,000 responses. We received strong support from key players such as the Royal Society and the engineering community. We will establish major themes by Christmas, and aim to launch a UK strategy in the spring.

Apprenticeships

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of apprenticeships for small and medium-sized enterprises in the current economic situation.

Si�n Simon: We share employers' concerns that cutting back on training threatens their future competitiveness. We are taking forward 'World-class Apprenticeships' proposals to support and encourage small and medium-sized businesses to take on apprentices. We recently launched sector growth pilots to trial a range of support, including wage and training subsidies and overtraining trials to expand existing programmes. I encourage small businesses to bid for this funding. We are also encouraging the development of Group Training Associations to help support small businesses to provide Apprenticeship places. And the Department is leading the way on ensuring that public procurement plays its part in driving up apprenticeship opportunities.

Apprenticeships

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of apprentices employed in the public sector in  (a) the Isle of Wight and  (b) England.

Si�n Simon: We estimate 8 per cent. of all apprentices in England are employed in the public sector. The Learning and Skills Council estimate there are 15 public sector apprentices in the Isle of Wight. It is essential that the public sector plays its full role in offering apprenticeships to younger and older people. This is why, last month, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families launched a campaign to encourage the public sector to take on more apprentices. We are setting up a network of ministerial champions for apprentices, which is going to meet next month. The new National Apprenticeship Service will drive forward work in this area.

Apprenticeships

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what plans he has to increase the number of apprenticeships available to young people.

Si�n Simon: The Government have rescued, rebuilt, improved and expanded apprenticeships in the last 10 years. Apprenticeships are now a mainstream option for young people.
	On Tuesday, DIUS published our spending plans for 2009/10, and I am pleased to say, total Government investment for apprenticeships will increase to over 1 billion.
	DIUS is committed to meeting the demand from suitably qualified young people. So as more young people want apprenticeships, we will work with employers to expand the programme further.
	We have also launched a major drive to increase apprenticeships in the public sector. It is only right that the public sector matches our high aspirations for the private sector.

University Places

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent representations he has received on numbers of applications by state school pupils for university places.

David Lammy: The number and proportion of entrants from state schools has risen steadily. In 2006-07, the most recent figures available, 87.2 per cent. of university entrants came from state schools, up 6.2 percentage points from 1997-98. I am determined we should build on this progress.

Maintenance Grants

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many new students in  (a) Staffordshire,  (b) the west midlands and  (c) England will have a reduced entitlement to maintenance grants in 2009-10; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave earlier to his colleague, the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb).
	In July 2007, we predicted that two-thirds of students would get a full or partial grantI expect this commitment will be met under the new system.
	In July 2007, we predicted that one-third of students would get the maximum grant. I expect this commitment will be exceededunder the new package 40 per cent. of students will be eligible for a full grant.

Young People: University

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department takes to support universities in the work they undertake to encourage young people to apply to them.

David Lammy: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) provides a widening participation allocation to universities, which totalled 95.4 million in 2008-09, helping to support their recruitment work with disadvantaged young people. We are also committed to supporting universities' outreach activities, in particular through Aimhigher and the launch of the Aimhigher Associates scheme.

Tuition Fees

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills when he will begin the tuition fees' review.

David Lammy: My right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke), the then Secretary of State for Education and Skills, told the House on 8 January 2004 that there would be an independent review of tuition fees, reporting to the House, once we had evidence on the first three years of the variable fee regime. The first three years of operation will not be concluded until autumn next year.

Further Education

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the contribution made by further education colleges to the communities in which they are based.

Si�n Simon: FE colleges make many valuable contributions to their communities in driving economic development and regeneration through their presence, participation and leadership. Colleges are responding proactively and innovatively to support individuals and businesses in their local community through the current economic downturn. Our increased funding for colleges and our investment in developing world-class facilities means they are fully equipped to make this contribution. We are committed to continuing to increase funding to support adult skills and giving colleges greater flexibility to use these funds in meeting the needs of their communities.

Further Education

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many higher education students are studying in further education colleges.

David Lammy: The latest available figures show that in 2006-07, there were around 131,000 students studying for a higher education qualification in a further education college in England.

Astronomy

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much his Department is spending on astronomy and space research in 2008-09.

David Lammy: The Science and Technology Facilities Council, which is responsible for astronomy and space research, will commit 189 million to astronomy and space science research and facilities this financial year.

Higher Education

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent progress there has been in widening participation in higher education.

David Lammy: Well over 50 per cent. of young people from all social classes aspire to go to university, and this figure has increased in every social class over the past eight years. The rate of increase in aspiration and ambition has been fastest in the lower socio-economic groups. Our 50 per cent. target therefore matches the aspirations of young people themselves.

Further and Higher Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what recent steps the Government has taken to increase the numbers of students participating in further and higher education.

Si�n Simon: Government spending on higher education has increased by 24 per cent. in real terms from 1997-98 to 2008-09 to more than 8 billion a year. A record 1,156,000 places are funded in 2008-09. So far, acceptances for 2008 entry show a rise of almost 7 per cent. on 2007.
	Total planned investment in further education and skills will increase to 5.0 billion in 2009-10. This will support over 3 million adult learners. To date, we have exceeded our Skills for Life target for 2010, and increased the number of adults in the work force qualified to Level 2 to 2.1 million compared with 2001.

Energy Technologies Institute

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of progress in the work of the Energy Technologies Institute.

David Lammy: Good progress is being made to fully establish the Energy Technologies Institute. Some 60 million of ETI funded projects are currently being prepared under its first technical programmes in Offshore Wind and Wave and Tidal Stream Energy. The ETI announced a further call in Distributed Energy and is holding workshops to help to develop further programmes, which will be formally announced in due course. ETI will hold a stakeholder workshop in December to develop, with others, a large-scale trial of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles focused on understanding the requirements of the charging infrastructure.

Skills

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to increase employees' skills levels in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.

David Lammy: We recognise that Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills are critical to the success of the UK economy. Around 70 per cent. of the 2020 working age population have already left compulsory education so it is vital that we focus on working in partnership with business to up skill all employees. This is why we continue to invest heavily in programmes such as Apprenticeships and Train to Gain as well as working with schools and universities to encourage greater take-up of STEM. This is why the majority of HEFCE's 350 million investment in strategically important and vulnerable subjects is dedicated to STEM.

Apprentices

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that apprentices do not lose their apprenticeships in the current economic climate.

Si�n Simon: We have rescued apprenticeships, rebuilt apprenticeships over the last 10 years and apprenticeships are now a mainstream option for all young people. We recognise that the current economic situation will impact on the numbers of apprentices starting, including in the construction sector. We are helping to drive up apprenticeship opportunities by requiring our further education building programme contractors to train their workforce; and have asked other Departments with large construction procurement projects to do likewise. We have put in place a matching service to help construction sector apprentices facing redundancy now to find an employer to finish their training.

ConstructionSkills: Consultants

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells of 29 April 2008,  Official Report, column 292W, on ConstructionSkills: Stratagem, if he will place in the Library a copy of the reply from the Chief Executive.

Si�n Simon: Due to an oversight within this Department, the letter from David Lammy to the chief executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills was not sent to him. I will ensure that the letter is sent without further delay, and on receiving his response a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Research: Finance

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how much quality-related research funding was received by each UK higher education institution for the period 2003-04 to 2008-09.

David Lammy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 28 October 2008,  Official Report, column 994W, to the hon. Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Binley).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcoholic Drinks: Public Places

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the maximum fine for anyone not obeying an instruction to stop drinking, or to give up their drink in a designated public place will increase from 500 to 2,500.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 10 November 2008
	 The Home Office intends to legislate to raise the maximum fine for anyone not obeying an instruction to stop drinking, or to give up their drink in a designated public place (DPPO) area as soon as the parliamentary timetable allows.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken following the publication of the Youth Alcohol Action Plan to assist the police, local authorities and communities to identify hotspots where underage drinking is a problem.

Jacqui Smith: The Youth Alcohol Action Plan stated that the Home Office would support the police, local authorities and communities to identify problem hot spots. This is a reiteration of a commitment made in Safe.Sensible.Social. - the next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy to gather further evidence on how high risk licensed premises can best be identified i.e. those premises that have a higher likelihood of being associated with crime and disorder, public nuisance and risk to children.
	Officials within the Home Office have commissioned expert practitioners from Dorset police and Lancashire constabulary to develop a toolkit for licensing officers to help identify problem premises. The toolkit identifies best working practices from across the country and provides a structured approach to tackling the problem. We are currently in consultation with ACPO, LACORS and the police regarding the document and a possible publication date.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner has made of the level of use of automatic number plate recognition; and what assessment she has made of the appropriateness of such usage.

Vernon Coaker: The use of automatic number plate recognition systems, which compare CCTV pictures with automated databases, is a matter for the Information Commissioner. The CCTV Code of Practice, revised recently by the Information Commissioner, makes it clear that information held by organisations that is about individuals is covered by the Data Protection Act 1998 ('DPA') and the Code helps operators comply with their legal obligations under the DPA.

Borders: Personal Records

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will reduce for leisure boaters the period of notice required for the passenger and crew manifests and boat details of boats entering or leaving UK waters to be submitted under the e-borders scheme.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 6 November 2008
	The UK Border Agency (UKBA) is required to balance its obligation to the security of the United Kingdom's border with that of facilitating the entry and exit of legitimate travellers. The e-Borders system will assist in providing that balance.
	Under the e-Borders system, leisure boaters will have 48 hours before an international voyage takes place to submit crew information and 24 hours for passenger information.
	The data should be submitted before the voyage occurs and they would be expected no later than 30 minutes before departure. It is recognised that precise timing is not always possible in this environment, and hence there is considerable flexibility in this regard.

Community Safety Accreditation Schemes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which approved organisations have had enforcement powers granted to them through community safety accreditation schemes; and which enforcement powers have been granted in each case.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not collect data on which individual organisations have been given powers under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS). However, a Home Office CSAS audit this year collected data on the number of accredited organisations and, also, which powers were given within each police force area. The audit is on the Home Office website:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/community-policing/citizen-focused-policing/community-safety-accredit-scheme/.

Community Safety Accreditation Schemes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces have a community safety accreditation scheme in place; and what enforcement powers have been granted to each scheme.

Vernon Coaker: The 2008 Home Office audit of the community safety accreditation scheme (CSAS) found that 23 police forces in England and Wales, including the British Transport police, had a CSAS scheme in place. The audit shows which forces have a scheme and is on the Home Office website:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/community-policing/citizen-focused-policing/community-safety-accredit-scheme/.
	The Home Office does not collect data on the powers given to individual schemes but the audit does show which powers have been granted within the police force area.

Community Support Officers: Manpower

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers have been stationed in Crosby constituency in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The available data for Merseyside Police and the Basic Command Unit (BCU) of Sefton are given in the following table. Police Personnel Statistics are not collected by parliamentary constituency.
	
		
			  Police Community Support Officer Strength( 1)  (FTE)( 2)  as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March 2008( 3) 
			   Merseyside Police  Sefton Basic Command Unit 
			 31 March 2003 40  
			 31 March 2004 72  
			 31 March 2005(4) 170  
			 31 March 2006(4) 196  
			 31 March 2007(4, 5) 332 57 
			 31 March 2008(4) 407 68 
			 (1) This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. (2) Full-time equivalent exclude those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. (3) Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data is not available prior to 2002-03. (4) Strength figures as at 31 March 2005 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table. (5) 2006-07 is the first year that police community support officer strength by Basic Command Unit has been collected centrally.

Crime Prevention

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Pendle of 9 March 2001,  Official Report, column 310W, on the Home Office, which police forces used cardboard mock ups of police officers in crime prevention initiatives in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: This information is not collected centrally by the Home Office. I understand that mock-ups have been used on a limited basis in some crime prevention initiatives.

Departmental Data Protection

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) computers and  (b) hard drives in her Department contain non-encrypted data.

Jacqui Smith: We are unable to answer this PQ because to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of her Department's staff have remote access to the Department's IT infrastructure.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Office does not monitor the number of people who access IT systems remotely. We provide remote access capabilities through mobile working solutions but we cannot state where these are used (home or office).
	In terms of potential usage, based on September 2008 data, there are currently 3,274 laptops, and 461 Blackberries in circulation.

Departmental Internet

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs her Department incurred in internet and website design and hosting in each year since 2001.

Jacqui Smith: The most recent redevelopment/redesign of the Home Office website, was in 2005. Costs were embedded in the business as usual costs for that year and could be extracted only at disproportionate cost. Hosting costs are also embedded in budgets spread around the organisation and likewise, could be extracted only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, what payments her Department made to Chelsea Football Club in 2007-08; on what dates; and for what purpose in each case.

Jacqui Smith: Pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, based on the purchase order data held in the Home Department's financial database, the details of the payment made to Chelsea football club in 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			  Date of purchase  Description of purchase  Payment () 
			 18 December 2007 Hire of conference venue(1) 9,719 
			 (1) By the National Offender Management Service.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on Departmental procurement, what payments her Department made to  (a) Abolish Pest Control,  (b) Exact Pest Control,  (c) Hawkins Pest Control,  (d) Independent Pest Control Ltd,  (e) Mitie Pest Control,  (f) Moores Pest Control Services Ltd,  (g) Zest Solutions Ltd and  (h) Barford Pest Control Services in 2007-08; on what dates; and for what purpose in each case.

Jacqui Smith: Pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, based on the purchase order data held in the Home Department's financial database, the details of the payments made to  (a) Abolish Pest Control,  (b) Exact Pest Control,  (c) Hawkins Pest Control,  (d) Independent Pest Control Ltd, (e) Mitie Pest Control, and  (f) Moores Pest Control Services Ltd in 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			  Organisation  Payment date  Description  Payment () 
			 Abolish Pest Control 31 October 2007 Treatment for ant infestation at Dominion Court 80.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 31 October 2007 Treatment at Sandford House 320.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 7 September 2007 Dominion Court Ant infestation 95.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 7 September 2007 Sandford House disinfestation treatment 320.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 7 September 2007 Pest control for Pembroke House for the period April 2006 to March 2007 240.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 21 September 2007 Sandford House 320.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 12 March 2008 Disinfestation treatment at BIA Building Sandford House Solihull 320.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 25 May 2007 Visited Sandford House for routine rodent control 110.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 25 May 2007 Visited Sandford House to treat infestation on ground and first floor 320.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 14 December 2007 Treatment to GF at Sandford House 320.00 
			 Abolish Pest Control 31 October 2007 Treatment for rodent control at Sandford House 110.00 
			 
			 Exact Pest Control 11 January 2008 Sandridge Rodent control agreement from 08/1107 for a 12 month period 493.62 
			 Exact Pest Control 21 July 2008 To spray residual insecticide to treat ant problem in Orchid building at HOSDB 45.00 
			 Exact Pest Control 14 September 2007 Treatment of wasps nests and HOSDB Sandridge on 13 August 2007 45.00 
			 Exact Pest Control 20 July 2007 To spray for ants in the kitchen and atrium at HOSDB Sandridge 65.00 
			 Exact Pest Control 19 August 2007 To spray for ants in Block 5 room 1 and HOSDB Sandridge 45.00 
			 Exact Pest Control 24 August 2007 The treatment of wasps nest above HOSDB entrance on 20 July 2007 45.00 
			 Exact Pest Control 29 May 2007 To spray insecticide to control ants 45.00 
			 
			 Hawkins Pest Control 25 May 2007 To spray for static in carpeted areas and spray for ground beetles in the Branston Registry Warehouse 360.00 
			 
			 Independent Pest Control 10 August 2007 Pest control service 6 December-November 2007 80.97 
			 Independent Pest Control 7 December 2007 ASC 4th floor India Building 117.50 
			 Independent Pest Control 13 February 2007 Pest control service 6December-November 2007 80.97 
			 Independent Pest Control 4 July 2007 Pest control service 6December-November 2007 70.50 
			 Independent Pest Control 18 September 2007 Independent pest control 2007-April 2008 ASC 4th floor India Building 117.50 
			 Independent Pest Control 22 February 2008 Independent pest control 2007-April 2008 ASC 4th floor India Building 70.50 
			 Independent Pest Control 13 April 2007 Pest control service 6 December-November 2007 70.50 
			 Independent Pest Control 15 November 2007 Independent pest control 2007-April 2008 ASC 4th floor India Building 70.50 
			 Independent Pest Control 21 January 2008 Independent pest control 2007-April 2008 ASC 4th floor India Building 70.50 
			 Independent Pest Control 4 July 2007 Independent pest control no HOM001 9 April 2007-8 April 2008 ASC 4th floor India Building 80.97 
			 Independent Pest Control 4 July 2007 Independent pest control no HOM001 9 April 2007-8 April 2008 ASC 4th floor India Building 117.50 
			 Independent Pest Control 20 November 2007 Independent pest control 2007-April 2008 ASC 4th Floor India Building 80.97 
			 Independent Pest Control 4 July 2007 HOM001 Pest control service 6 December-November 2007 117.50 
			 
			 Mitie Pest Control 4 May 2007 Treatment for the quarter of March to May to treat insects at GIPU Ashdown House 58.75 
			 Mitie Pest Control 4 May 2007 Treatment as per contract for the quarter of March to May to treat insects at room 1023 and 1024 north terminal Gatwick airport 90.48 
			 Mitie Pest Control 4 May 2007 Treatment as per contract for the quarter of March to May to treat insects at arrival halls south terminal Gatwick airport 891.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 4 May 2007 Treatment as per contract for the quarter of March to May to treat insects at Ashdown House 843.65 
			 Mitie Pest Control 4 May 2007 Treatment as per contract for the quarter of March to May to treat insects at Ashdown House 233.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 4 May 2007 Treatment as per contract for the quarter of March to May to treat insects at detention suite north terminal Gatwick airport 177.43 
			 Mitie Pest Control 30 November 2007 Treatment as per contract for the quarter of March to May to treat for insects at detention suite north terminal Gatwick airport 891.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 21 December 2007 Pest control treatment as per contract covering September/November 2007 at north terminal immigration office 843.65 
			 Mitie Pest Control 21 December 2007 Pest control treatment as per contract covering September/November 2007 at Ashdown House 233.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 21 December 2007 Pest control treatment as per contract covering September/November 2007 at detention suite north terminal 177.43 
			 Mitie Pest Control 21 December 2007 Pest control, as per contract 135.13 
			 Mitie Pest Control 21 December 2007 Pest control, as per contract 90.48 
			 Mitie Pest Control 30 November 2007 Pest control treatment as per contract covering September/November 2007 at GIPU Ashdown House 58.75 
			 Mitie Pest Control 7 August 2007 June to August 2007 pest control for Ashdown House GIPU 58.75 
			 Mitie Pest Control 31 July 2007 June to August 2007 pest control for rooms 1023/1024 north terminal 90.48 
			 Mitie Pest Control 31 July 2007 June to August 2007 pest control for Gatwick intelligence unit 135.13 
			 Mitie Pest Control 31 July 2007 June to August 2007 pest control for north terminal detention suite 177.43 
			 Mitie Pest Control 31 July 2007 June to August 2007 pest control for Ashdown House GIPU 233.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 31 July 2007 June to August 2007 pest control for Gatwick north terminal 843.65 
			 Mitie Pest Control 31 July 2007 June to August 2007 pest control for Gatwick north terminal 891.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 25 February 2008 Pest control biting insects covering qtr December/February 2008 for Gatwick south terminal 135.13 
			 Mitie Pest Control 25 February 2008 Pest control biting insects covering qtr December/February 2008 for Gatwick south terminal 891.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 25 February 2008 Pest control biting insects covering qtr December/February 2008 for Gatwick North Terminal 177.43 
			 Mitie Pest Control 25 February 2008 Pest control biting insects covering qtr December/February 2008 for Gatwick north terminal 843.65 
			 Mitie Pest Control 25 February 2008 Pest control biting insects covering qtr December/February 58.75 
			 Mitie Pest Control 25 February2008 Pest control biting insects covering qtr December/February 233.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 25 February 2008 Pest control biting insects covering qtr December/February 90.48 
			 Mitie Pest Control 30 April 2008 To provide pest control treatment as per contract at Gatwick airport terminals and Ashdown House to cover period March 2008 to September 2008 891.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 2 May 2008 To provide pest control treatment as per contract at Gatwick airport terminals and Ashdown House to cover period March 2008 to September 2008 843.65 
			 Mitie Pest Control 2 May 2008 To provide pest control treatment as per contract at Gatwick airport terminals and Ashdown House to cover period March 2008 to September 2008 233.83 
			 Mitie Pest Control 2 May 2008 To provide pest control treatment as per contract at Gatwick airport terminals and Ashdown House to cover period March 2008 to September 2008 177.43 
			 Mitie Pest Control 2 May 2008 To provide pest control treatment as per contract at Gatwick airport terminals and Ashdown House to cover period March 2008 to September 2008 135.13 
			 Mitie Pest Control 30 April 2008 To provide pest control treatment as per contract at Gatwick airport terminals and Ashdown House to cover period March 2008 to September 2008 90.48 
			 Mitie Pest Control 4 May 2007 Treatment as per contract 135.13 
			 
			 Moores 28 March 2008 Call and control rodents in building 2 60.00 
		
	
	Although  (g) Zest Solutions Ltd and  (h) Barford Pest Control Services were set up as suppliers in the financial database, no payments were made to these companies in 2007-08.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on Departmental procurement, what payments her Department made to the Joanne Banks Dancers in 2007-08; on what dates; and for what purpose in each case.

Jacqui Smith: Pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement; although the Joanne Banks Dancers were set up as a supplier in the Home Department's financial database, no payment was made to this organisation in 2007-08.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on Departmental procurement, what payments her Department made to the Home Office Staff Social Club in 2007-08; on what dates; and for what purpose in each case.

Jacqui Smith: Pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, based on the purchase order data held in the Home Department's financial database, the details of the payments made to Home Office Staff Social Club at Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) Sandridge in 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1   
			   Description of purchase  Value () 
			 January 2008 Working lunch for external visitors attending meetings at HOSDB Sandridge 280.76 
			 February 2008 Working lunch for external visitors attending meetings at HOSDB Sandridge 269.28 
			 February 2008 Working lunch for external visitors attending meetings at HOSDB Sandridge 273.13 
			 April 2008 Working lunch for external visitors attending meetings at HOSDB Sandridge 356.28

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, what payments her Department made to Darlington Football Club Company in 2007-08; on what dates; and for what purpose in each case.

Jacqui Smith: Pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, based on the purchase order data held in the Home Department's financial database, the details of the payment made to Darlington Football Club Company in 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			  March 2007description of purchase  Value () 
			 Hire of conference venue for the North East Restorative Community Partnership conference highlighting and advertising the work going on in North East Prisons. 2,440.87

Deportation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people the Government have been unable to deport in the last 12 months; and for what reason in each case.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 30 October 2008
	The information requested is not centrally collated and can only be obtained through the detailed examination of individual casefiles at disproportionate cost. The Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency has regularly provided the Home Affairs Committee with the most robust and accurate information available on the subject of foreign criminals and associated deportation action.
	Having exceeded the Prime Minister's target of 4,000 deportations or removals of foreign prisoners in 2007, the Agency has now been set an even tougher target and aims to remove or deport more than 5,000 foreign prisoners in 2008. In the first six months of this year, the Agency had deported or removed nearly 2,500 which is a record performance, 22 per cent. higher than for the same period in 2007 and nearly 140 per cent. higher than in 2006.

Deportation: Iran

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent consideration she has given to a moratorium on the deportation of gay people to Iran.

Jacqui Smith: Asylum and human rights applications made by gay people from Iran continue to be considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations and taking full account of the latest available information about the conditions in Iran as they impact on the individual applicant. The UK Border Agency only enforces the deportation of gay people to Iran who they, and the courts, are satisfied are not in need of international protection and who do not elect to leave the UK voluntarily.
	The August 2008 version of the Home Office Country Report for Iran is available to view at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/country_reports.html

Deportation: Offenders

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons suspected of terrorism offences the Government has been unable to deport owing to  (a) legal challenges and  (b) an assessment that the individual concerned will be tortured if deported to the country of nationality in each year since 2001.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 6 November 2008
	Foreign nationals suspected of involvement in terrorism are considered for deportation action. However, deportation action cannot be taken where it is concluded that removal would be contrary to our international obligations, in particular under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
	The way in which individual immigration decisions are recorded and the timescales involved means it is not possible to provide a comprehensive reply of breakdown cases by year. However:
	16 individuals were certified under part 4 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 as suspected international terrorists and were detained on the basis that their removal was prevented by a point of law which related wholly or partly to an international agreement. One other person was also certified under part 4 but was detained under other powers. Those detained had the right to leave the UK at any time, two did so. Six have since been deported.
	Since 2005, there have been 19 cases where deportation action on national security grounds was commenced, but was later discontinued because it was concluded that it would not be possible to demonstrate that removal would be in conformity with the UK's international obligations, including our obligations under article 3 ECHR. These cases are kept under review.
	There are currently 11 cases where we are seeking to deport individuals on grounds of national security because of their suspected involvement in terrorism. These are at various stages in the appeals process. In a twelfth case, the appeal against the decision to deport was allowed by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission as it was not satisfied that the case for deportation on national security grounds had been made out.

Detention Centres: Security

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many detainees escaped from each immigration detention centre in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The number of detainees who have escaped from immigration removal centres has only been collated centrally since 2005.
	 Campsfield House
	2007: 29;
	2008 to date: seven.
	 Colnbrook
	2005: one.
	 Dungavel House
	2006: one.
	 Haslar
	2008 to date: two.
	 Lindholme
	2008 to date: one.
	 Oakington
	2005: four;
	2006: 19;
	2007: 63;
	2008 to date: 24.
	 Yarl's Wood
	2007: one.

Electronic Government: International Co-operation

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what recent estimate she has made of the cost of Project Stork; what progress has been made in the project; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with  (a) Ministerial colleagues and  (b) her EU counterparts on common data security standards as part of the implementation of Project Stork;
	(3)  if she will re-assess the data security aspects of Project Stork in the light of the recent security breach affecting the passwords and source codes of the UK Government Gateway;
	(4)  what recent assessment she has made of the level of potential data security risks connected with the sharing of personal information with other EU countries pursuant to the implementation of Project Stork.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 17 November 2008
	 All EU member states are committed to the delivery of better and innovative services to citizens and businesses. The European Commission is supporting this commitment with a research programme on cross-border on-line services. The EU eID Large Scale Pilot, informally known as Project Stork, is a consortium of 14 member states including the UK which are engaged in a research project on how to enable cross border on-line services. The project started on 1 June 2008 and will last for three years.
	The UK contribution will examine how Government Gateway might offer services and will lead on development of relevant standards. The research is not about transmission of personal data and there will be no direct access to UK databases. Security and privacy are key issues within the project. All steps will be taken to ensure that mutual recognition of electronic identity is secure and makes identity theft extremely difficult and we will work with our EU partners to ensure key principles of privacy, trust and citizen control remain at the heart of the EU eID pilot.
	The pilot will draw together elements of existing programmes and any additional resource to manage the work and analyse outcomes will be EU-funded. The UK will contribute approximately 1 million over the three year projectthe EU will match this funding.

Genetics: Databases

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of people on the national DNA database were aged  (a) under 16 and  (b) under 18 years at the time their profile was loaded, broken down by police force.

Jacqui Smith: The number of profiles added to the National DNA Database (NDNAD) by each police force in England and Wales, where the profile is recorded as relating to a person aged under 16 or under 18 at the time the DNA sample was taken, is shown in the following table. The numbers given for under 18s include the numbers given for under 16s. The figures are correct as at 29 October 2008.
	The number of profiles is not the same as the number of individuals. This is because a number of subject profiles on the NDNAD are replicates, that is, a profile for a person has been loaded to the NDNAD on more than one occasion. This may arise for a number of reasons, such as a person giving a different name on different occasions they are arrested, or because of upgrading of profiles. It is estimated that 13.3 per cent. of the subject profiles held on the entire NDNAD are replicates. However, this rate may vary between police forces, so figures for the number of individuals are given for England and Wales as a whole, but not for particular forces.
	The table also shows what percentage of the total number of profiles added by English and Welsh police forces are recorded as relating to persons aged under 16 or under 18 at the time the DNA sample was taken.
	
		
			  Profiles (not individuals) added by force  Under 16  Under 18 
			 England and Wales   
			 Avon and Somerset 12,070 21,740 
			 Bedfordshire 5,680 10,033 
			 British Transport 4,288 9,864 
			 Cambridgeshire 7,406 12,800 
			 Cheshire 10,104 18,166 
			 City of London Police 473 1,251 
			 Cleveland 7,996 13,532 
			 Cumbria 6,565 11,046 
			 Derbyshire 12,535 20,588 
			 Devon and Cornwall 14,208 24,977 
			 Dorset 6,394 11,374 
			 Durham 8,843 14,513 
			 Dyfed-Powys 6,142 10,903 
			 Essex 20,108 33,194 
			 Gloucestershire 6,335 10,834 
			 Greater Manchester police 37,958 62,239 
			 Gwent 7,351 13,132 
			 Hampshire 21,220 35,541 
			 Hertfordshire 10,648 17,979 
			 Humberside 13,116 21,389 
			 Kent 21,491 34,893 
			 Lancashire 18,203 32,531 
			 Leicestershire 8,183 14,607 
			 Lincolnshire 5,616 10,349 
			 Merseyside 16,312 29,761 
			 Metropolitan police 79,796 150,901 
			 Norfolk 8,453 14,552 
			 North Wales 7,718 13,877 
			 North Yorkshire 7,776 13,275 
			 Northamptonshire 3,604 7,719 
			 Northumbria 28,192 43,612 
			 Nottinghamshire 14,078 23,749 
			 South Wales constabulary 14,649 26,366 
			 South Yorkshire 16,526 28,349 
			 Staffordshire 12,832 22,444 
			 Suffolk 8,027 12,713 
			 Surrey 7,155 13,563 
			 Sussex 15,039 25,722 
			 Thames Valley 17,212 32,103 
			 Warwickshire police 4,594 7,888 
			 West Mercia 11,310 19,267 
			 West Midlands 40,267 68,139 
			 West Yorkshire 33,762 53,537 
			 Wiltshire 6,724 11,570 
			 Total profiles 626,959 1,086,582 
			 Total estimated individuals 543,573 942,067 
			 Total profiles as per cent of total England and Wales subject profiles on NDNAD (percentage) 12.43 21.54

Human Trafficking: Children

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government has considered the establishment of a system of guardianship for child victims of trafficking.

Jacqui Smith: The Home Department does not believe a system of guardianship for child victims of trafficking would offer any extra value beyond what is currently provided by local authorities. Local authority children's services have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children including those that are thought to have been trafficked.
	Following an assessment of a child's circumstances and under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, a local authority has a duty to provide accommodation for them within its area if it considers that the child is in need of care. Using the powers in the Children Act 1989, where there is a risk to the life of the child or a likelihood of serious harm, the local authority or police are required to act quickly to secure the immediate safety of the child.

Human Trafficking: Children

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support system is in place for children who are victims of human trafficking.

Jacqui Smith: Under the Children Acts of 1989 and 2004, it is the responsibility of local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of any separated child who is assessed to be at risk of harm and in need of accommodation. As separated children at risk of harm, trafficked children become the responsibility of local authorities as looked-after children. They also have access to legal advice, education, and medical and psychological support. The Government's White Paper Care Matters and Children and Young Persons Bill currently in Parliament contain additional measures to strengthen the service provision and improve outcomes for all looked-after children even further.
	In England, local safeguarding children boards co-ordinate safeguarding activity for children at risk of harm. Some local and metropolitan authorities have already established trafficking sub-groups to promote best practice and co-operation between agencies.
	On 7 December 2007, the Government published supplementary guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children who may have been Trafficked which actively guides practitioners towards making appropriate decisions for safeguarding children they suspect may have been trafficked.

Identity Cards: Biometrics

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the police on the use of  (a) non-unique digital representations of fingerprint biometrics and  (b) unique pure biometric images obtained via the National Identity Card scheme.

Meg Hillier: The Identity and Passport Service holds regular discussions with the police on all aspects of the performance of biometric systems and their relevance for the operation of the national identity scheme, via the National Policing Improvement Agency.

Identity Cards: Biometrics

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether workers employed in sensitive locations applying for identity cards from 2009 will be required to provide 10 fingerprints.

Jacqui Smith: It is intended that 10 plain fingerprint biometrics will be recorded and stored on the National Identity Register. The information to be recorded on the ID card will be prescribed in regulations to be approved by Parliament under section 6 of the Identity Cards Act 2006, but it is expected that two fingerprints will be recorded on the card.

Identity Cards: Data Protection

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the personal information collated before an individual's interview to enrol in the identity card scheme will be destroyed after use; and how and where the details of  (a) the particular questions asked during the interview and  (b) the answers given will be stored.

Meg Hillier: In some cases, individuals will be asked to attend an interview when they apply for registration on the National Identity Register or for a replacement card. While precise arrangements for the retention of personal information gathered for the purposes of the interview have not been finalised, we will seek to build upon existing practice for interviews of first time passport applicants, which is usually to destroy the information shortly after the interview.
	Section 3(1) of the Identity Cards Act makes clear that information may be entered on the register, and once entered, may continue to be recorded there, only if and for so long as it is consistent with the statutory purposes for it to be recorded in the register. Any request for verification of information or provision of data made to the Identity and Passport Service will be dealt with in line with the provisions of the Identity Cards Act 2006 and the Data Protection Act 1998.

Identity Cards: Young People

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work is being undertaken by her Department on whether identity cards should be extended to British citizens under the age of 16 years.

Jacqui Smith: Section 2(6) of the Identity Cards Act 2006 would allow the minimum age of 16 to be modified through secondary legislation, subject to approval by Parliament. However, there are currently no plans to extend the issue of identity cards to British citizens under the age of 16.

Illegal Immigrants: Prisoners

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost per day of detaining an immigration offender in the immigration estate was in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: The estimated average cost of detaining an immigration offender in an immigration removal centre is 130 per day.

Interception Modernisation Programme

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what access local authorities will have to geodata from mobile telephone use under the Interception Modernisation Programme.

Vernon Coaker: Under the s21(4) (b)(c) Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, local authorities can only access service use and subscriber data. This does not include geo-data and there are no plans to change this.

Interception of Communications Commissioner

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role the Interception of Communications Commissioner has in inspecting local authorities.

Vernon Coaker: The interception of communications commissioner is appointed by the Prime Minister under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) to exercise independent oversight both in relation to the interception of communications and access to communications data. In the discharge of his functions, the commissioner and his staff carry out a programme of inspection visits, reports and meetings. An annual report is laid before Parliament. Local authorities who make use of the provisions in RIPA to access communications data will be included in the commissioner's inspection regime.

Local Authorities: Inspections

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities have been inspected by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner in the last 12 months.

Vernon Coaker: In 2007-08, a total of 174 local authorities were inspected. The Office of Surveillance Commissioners does not publish details of which local authorities were inspected.

Local Authorities: Surveillance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance the Interception of Communications Commissioner has issued to local authorities on their use of powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2002.

Vernon Coaker: Representatives from the Interception of Communications Commissioner's Office are responsible for inspecting those local authorities which make use of communications data provisions within the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. They will provide guidance during these inspections and as appropriate at other times throughout the year, including in the information published in the Commissioner's Annual Report.

Local Authorities: Surveillance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response she has made to the Interception of Communications Commissioner on her proposals for local authorities to make greater use of their powers to intercept communications.

Vernon Coaker: Local authorities cannot intercept communications under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and there are no plans for them to do so.

Local Authorities: Surveillance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities were authorised to intercept communications data in the last year for which figures are available according to records held by the Interception of Communications Commissioner.

Vernon Coaker: Local authorities cannot intercept communications under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), but they can use the communications data provisions to make requests to communication service providers for service use and subscriber data under s21(4) (b)(c) of RIPA. The figures published in the interception of communications commissioner's annual report shows that 154 local authorities made use of their powers to acquire communications data in 2007.

Marriage

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason approval as a venue for a civil marriage ceremony may not be given to premises with a recent connection with any religion, religious practice or religious persuasion.

Meg Hillier: The Marriage Act 1949 draws a distinction between civil and religious marriages in England and Wales. The approval of premises for civil marriages is a matter for the local authority in which the premises are situated and it is the local authority which must be satisfied that the statutory requirements are met before it can grant an approval.
	The statutory position on approved premises is contained in the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005. The regulations state that the premises must not be religious premises as defined by section 6(2) of the 2004 Act. The Act defines religious premises as those which are used solely or mainly for religious purposes; or have been so used and have not subsequently been used solely or mainly for other purposes.
	Therefore, if a premises which has previously been used for religious purposes has subsequently been used for another purpose then the previous use, by itself, should not prohibit the premises becoming approved for the solemnisation of civil marriages and civil partnerships.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to respond to the letter to her dated 1 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton with regard to Mrs N. Akhtar.

Jacqui Smith: I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 14 October 2008.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to answer the letter to her dated 25 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton in regard to Mrs Mohsin.

Jacqui Smith: I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 3 November 2008.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will respond to the letter to her of 12 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Faiz ur-Rasool.

Jacqui Smith: A reply to the right hon. Member was sent on 22 September 2008. As my right hon. Friend has not received my reply, a copy of the letter will be re-sent to his office.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will respond to the letter of 24 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. F. Khan.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 13 November 2008
	I replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on 13 November 2008.

Office of the Surveillance Commissioner

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual cost to the public purse of the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner has been in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: The relevant financial year figures are as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Annual cost to the public purse () 
			 2005-06 1,391,000 
			 2006-07 1,595,800 
			 2007-08 1,651,000

Police National Computer

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received from the Data Protection Commissioner on the accuracy of criminal records held on the Police National Computer; and what estimate she has made of the  (a) number and  (b) percentage of criminal records held on the Police National Computer which contain significant inaccuracies or errors.

Meg Hillier: None.
	Any complaint about the accuracy of information held on the Police National Computer (PNC) would be dealt with locally by police forces. Each chief constable is a data controller and is responsible for the accuracy of information recorded by his or her force on the PNC. Police forces are required to have a quality assurance process in place to ensure that data entered onto the PNC are as accurate as possible.

Police: Databases

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of her Department's ability to implement the recommendations of the Bichard Inquiry on a Police National Intelligence database.

Vernon Coaker: The Police National Database (PND) is being delivered by the IMPACT Programme within the National Policing Improvement Agency. The Full Business Case for the PND is being closely scrutinised and covers, among other things, affordability and deliverability.
	The Programme is subject to the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Gateway reviews and will undergo a Gateway 3 (Investment Decision) review prior to the award of the contract. The purpose of a Gateway 3 review is to:
	investigate the full business case and the governance arrangements for the investment decision to confirm that the project is still required, affordable and achievable. The Review also checks that implementation plans are robust.
	The Programme submits regular reports on progress, plans, risks and issues including:
	a monthly Home Office Project Monitoring System (ProMS) report;
	a quarterly Government Major Projects and Programmes (MPP) report which goes to, among others, HM Treasury and the OGC; and
	monthly reports and weekly updates to Ministers.
	The Home Office is represented on the IMPACT Programme Board, which also regularly reviews progress, plans and the key risks and issues.
	This is a challenging and complex programme which involves not just delivering new information technology, but also significant business change within the Police Service and considerable work for forces in preparing their data, infrastructure and other resources. However, the programme remains on track to commence deployment of PND capabilities in 2010.

Police: Parades

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of policing the  (a) Henley Regatta 2008,  (b) London Marathon 2008,  (c) London Gay and Lesbian Pride March 2008 and  (d) Beijing Olympic and Paralympics welcome home parade was.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not held centrally.
	These are operational matters for the police authorities and the chief officers concerned, who are responsible for assessing local needs.

Police: Surveillance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the National Policing Improvement Agency's report on the lawful and effective use of covert techniques.

Vernon Coaker: Guidance on the lawful and effective use of covert techniques was published by the National Policing Improvement Agency in March 2008 on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland, Serious Organised Crime Agency, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Home Office.
	Due to its subject matter, the guidance is marked 'Restricted' and as such, copies cannot be placed in the House Library.

Powers of Entry

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when she expects Lord West to complete his review of powers of entry; and what plans she has to publish his report;
	(2)  whether the remit of Lord West's review of powers of entry extends to powers of entry affecting Northern Ireland.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office is working with colleagues in other Government Departments to draw up a definitive list of entry powers and who may use them. The review is limited to England and Wales. We plan to consult widely on a potential legislative framework for such powers by spring 2009. Regular updates on progress will be placed on the Powers of Entry Review website at:
	http://www.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/powers-pace-codes/powers-of-entry-review/

Proof of Identity

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what joint ventures have been established by the Identity and Passport Service concerning identity verification.

Meg Hillier: For a number of years, the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) has provided a passport validation service for both private sector and public sector customers.
	 Private sector customers
	The passport validation service (PVS) allows financial services firms to check the validity of UK passports presented as evidence of identity by customers directly against Identity and Passport Service records (via a dedicated call centre). By verifying these details against IPS data, the service provides assurance of the validity of the document presented and significantly prevents the use of lost, stolen or counterfeit passports.
	 Public sector customers
	Other Government Departments use PVS as an integral part of their identity management processes. For example, the UK Border Agency who use the service (via the Government secure internet) to check the validity of a British passport where there are specific doubts about the integrity of the document on arrival in the UK.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use there has been of notices under section 49 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 since 1 October 2007.

Vernon Coaker: Since October 2007, a total of 26 notices have been issued. 13 individuals have been charged with failing to comply with a section 49 notice and one person has been convicted.

Royal Mail: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the most recent inspection report of the Royal Mail Group by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioner.

Vernon Coaker: I refer the right hon. Friend to the previous answer given on 29 September 2008,  Official Report, column 235W. The Office of Surveillance Commissioners is independent of Government. The disclosure of its inspection reports, including those relating to local authorities, is a matter for the chief Surveillance Commissioner.

Vetting: Fees and Charges

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs will be incurred by  (a) employers,  (b) employees and  (c) volunteers to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 17 November 2008
	Individuals in paid employment will pay 64 when applying for registration with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA). The one-off application fee is composed of two elements28 to fund the running of the ISA and 36 to pay for Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) administration and, in most cases, an enhanced disclosure will be included. Those involved only in unpaid voluntary activity will pay no application fee. The responsibility for paying this fee legally falls on employees. It is at the discretion of employers if they choose to pay the fee, and we know from our consultations that many will, either in full or part. It will be the individuals' responsibility to register with the scheme, but as an employment incentive employers can offer to pay for the registration cost. Current employees in most of these settings should possess a valid CRB check.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Carer's Allowance: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of carer's allowance in Tamworth constituency in each year since its inception.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information about carer's allowance by parliamentary constituency is not available prior to August 2003. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			   Number receiving carer's allowance in Tamworth constituency 
			 May 2008 850 
			 May 2007 820 
			 May 2006 790 
			 May 2005 810 
			 May 2004 790 
			 August 2003 760 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance. They exclude those who are entitled but receive another income maintenance benefit at a higher rate instead. Both payment and entitlement can give lower-income carers access to higher rates of income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit. They also exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended. 3. These figures are published on the DWP website at: www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tabtool.asp  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Child Benefit

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many EU or EEA nationals are receiving UK child benefit for a child or children living in another EU or EEA member state; and how much was spent on child benefit for such children in the latest period for which information is available.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	Applicants for Child Benefit are not asked to state their nationality, so the information is not available.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what IT projects  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies is undertaking; and what the most recent estimate of (i) the cost and (ii) the completion date of each is.

Jonathan R Shaw: Although the Department does not have any discrete IT projects, it has a number of projects and programmes that include changes to IT to a greater or lesser extent. We have included in the following table:
	those current projects and programmes undertaken by the Department where the IT element of the project or programme will result in the development and/or implementation of services that underpin the delivery of departmental business; and
	those where non-delivery of the IT element would significantly damage the project's or programme's ability to deliver its intended results.
	The costs shown represent the investment costs of the project/programme. The cost of running the solutions implemented by the projects and programmes are not included as in the great majority of cases they are more than compensated for by the financial benefits they generate.
	Initiatives that are associated with ongoing system improvements or enhancements as part of business as usual have not been included. For all programmes or projects, the costs and dates reported relate to the total project or programme and not only the IT element. The table shows information on the programme/project purpose, expected completion date and estimated costs.
	It should be noted that the scope of projects can change as they pass through their project lifecycle, and as plans and costs become more robust. At each stage of this process, they are assessed to ensure that they continue to fit with departmental strategy and continue to deliver value for money.
	
		
			  Project  Purpose  Expected completion date  Estimated cost  ( million) 
			 Pensions Transformation Project The programme will transform the Pension Service, bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer service and deliver efficiencies, 2010-11 598 
			 Customer Information System(1) This project will deliver a database of key citizen information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department's key customer information systems, i.e. personal details computer system and departmental central index, and become their replacement. Consideration is being given for wider use of CIS by other Government Departments. March 2008 88 
			 Document Repository Service(2) This project seeks to support the Department's modernisation programmes through the provision of a document repository to store digitised images of documents received from customers (letters, faxes, e-mails etc.), cutting down paper in the organisation. March 2009 11 
			 Central Payments System (formerly part of Payment Modernisation) A modern integrated central payment engine and accounts payable system to improve accounting for benefit/pension payments, reduce risks of service failure, increased speed and efficiency, and information for improved customer service and reduced fraud and error. December 2011 177 
			 Employment and Support Allowance The project delivers the system and processes to implement the new ESA allowance from October 2008, expected completion date is October 2009. October 2008 295 
			 On Time Solution Provide a range of improved information services to DWP businesses, including improved quicker management information, fraud and error intervention and analysis. March 2011 11 
			 Provider Referrals and Payment Project Deploy an IT system to automate and e-enable transactions between Jobcentre Plus and training providers. June 2010 18 
			 Pension Reform Delivery Programme(3) To co-ordinate, manage and deliver a range of measures and consequential impacts which will establish a new structure for the UK pension system long term. December 2010 118 
			 DWP Change Programme This programme brigades a number of complementary initiatives to deliver the DWP Business Vision including major projects to bring in continuous improvement using lean techniques which should allow greater customer focus and efficiency in our process and business change projects to allow greater access to information. March 2011 246 
			 Local Services Integration Programme To provide local services with an IT solution that supports the end to end process. December 2011 15 
			 Government Connect To roll out a secure data network connecting Government and local authorities, including secure file transfer, e-mail and web-browser capability March 2011 33 
			 (1) Customer Information System (CIS): The expected completion date of March 2008 was based on a plan to migration off legacy benefit system data on the same date. However, to minimise the risks associated with this approach, a phased implementation was planned. The dates for this phased approach have previously been published and are: Start of Migration: March 2008 Completion of phased roll-out: June 2008 Final Technical Release: October 2008 End of Project Review Date: December 2008 (2) Document Repository System: The date shown for the expected completion date (March 2009) is the End Project Review (EPR) date. A completion date of November 2008 has been previously quoted, this refers to the first 'Go Live Date' which was delivered to the original planned deadline. (3) Pensions Reform Delivery Programme (PRDP): The date shown for the expected completed date December 2010 is the End Project Review (EPR) date. A completion date of April 2010 (in line with original plans) has previously been quoted, this refers to the 'Go Live Date' which was delivered to the original planned deadline.

Departmental Mass Media

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which organisations provided media monitoring services to  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last three years; and what the cost of each contract was.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The following organisations have provided media monitoring services to the Department for Work and Pensions and its agencies over the past three years:
	1. Central Office of InformationMedia Monitoring Unit
	2. Durrants
	3. Press AssociationMediapoint
	1. The expenditure on the Media Monitoring Unit was as follows:
	
		
			
			 2005-06 53,000 
			 2006-07 60,015 
			 2007-08 68,700 
		
	
	2. Durrants has provided a press cutting service to DWP over the past three years.
	The cost of this contract is commercially sensitive and thus cannot be disclosed.
	3. Press AssociationMediapoint
	The cost of this contract is commercially sensitive and thus cannot be disclosed.
	 (b) Agencies.
	DWP agencies are covered by the departmental contracts aforementioned.
	In addition, a separate broadcast monitoring service provided by Media Measurement for the Child Support Agency (CSA), now Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission (CMEC), has been in place since December, 2006.
	Romeike provided a media monitoring service to Jobcentre Plus between April 2005 and July 2008.
	 (c) Non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). The NDPBs make their own arrangements for the provision of these services and DWP has no control over their expenditure. An exception is the Office for Disability Issues (ODI) which has used the Durrants contract for their press cutting service since the beginning of 2008.

Departmental Temporary Employment

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many temporary workers  (a) are employed by his Department and  (b) were employed by his Department in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on temporary workers in each of the last 10 years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001. The first full year that staffing statistics for the Department are available is from 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003.
	Staff numbers in the Department are counted and recorded on the last day of each month. The number and costs of staff directly employed in each year from 2002-03 onwards is shown in the following table. Numbers are shown both as an average for each year and as at 31 March each year. Typically numbers of temporary staff tend to be higher during the summer months when there is a need to cover absences during the peak leave period.
	
		
			  Financial year  Average number of temporary staff employed  Number of temporary staff employed at  31 March each year  Cost of temporary staff  ( million) 
			 2002-03 4,231 2,684 29.290 
			 2003-04 4,662 4,374 43.637 
			 2004-05 3,674 2,004 45.256 
			 2005-06 2,268 1,419 32.828 
			 2006-07 1,767 825 29.197 
			 2007-08 1,491 1,295 20.387 
			  Notes: 1. Staff figures are full time equivalents. 2. Costs are rounded to nearest 1,000. 
		
	
	Given that temporary staff can be employed for periods of between one day and 51 weeks neither the average number nor the end of year number will necessarily correlate with the annual cost.
	The number of temporary staff directly employed by the Department as at 30 September 2008 was 2,854 full time equivalents. The cost of temporary staff, to date, in the current financial year (2008-09) is 14.696 million.

Departmental Training

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on external training courses for departmental staff in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006,  (c) 2007 and  (d) 2008; and which external organisations were paid by the Department to provide such courses in each year.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information about the cost of external training courses and the identity of training providers could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many questions for written answer were tabled to his Department in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on disproportionate cost replies is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The number of questions tabled to the Department for which replies were given(1) is in the following table:
	(1) Questions which were subsequently withdrawn by hon. Members or transferred to other Government Departments for reply have not been included.
	
		
			  Parliamentary Session  Number of questions 
			 2002-03 2,136 
			 2003-04 2,712 
			 2004-05 1,288 
			 2005-06 5,195 
			 2006-07 2,256 
			 2007-08 to date 3,184

Disability Living Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) average and  (b) maximum duration of a fixed award of (i) disability living allowance and (ii) attendance allowance was in each of the last 10 years, broken down by condition.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Disability Living Allowance

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many awards have been made for  (a) disability living allowance and  (b) attendance allowance under special award rules in each of the last 10 years; how many were (i) made for three years initially, (ii) paid for the full three years and (iii) renewed after three years, broken down by category of condition.

Jonathan R Shaw: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance special rules cases with initial awards of three years in the last 10 years: Great Britaindurations of award 
			Duration 
			  As at May:  All special rules awards  Up to three years  Three years (one month either side)  Over three years  Indefinite awards 
			 1998 3,7003,700 
			 1999 4,0004,000 
			 2000 4,1004,100 
			 2001 4,9004,900 
			 2002 4,4004,400 
			 2003 4,2004,200 
			 2004 4,9004,900 
			 2005 4,3004,300 
			 2006 4,2004,200 
			 2007 4,300  4,200  (1)100 
			 2008 4,500 (1)100 4,300   
		
	
	
		
			  Attendance allowance special rules cases with initial awards of three years in the last 10 years: Great Britaindurations of award 
			Duration 
			  As at May:  All special rules awards  Up to  three  years  Three  years ( one  month either side)  Over  three  years  Indefinite awards 
			 1998 6,3006,300 
			 1999 6,7006,700 
			 2000 6,2006,200 
			 2001 6,5006,500 
			 2002 6,9006,900 
			 2003 7,1007,100 
			 2004 8,2008,200 
			 2005 7,3007,300 
			 2006 7,1007,100 
			 2007 6,900 (1)100 6,200  (1)500 
			 2008 7,500 (1)200 7,200  (1)100 
			  = Nil or negligible. (1) Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 3. Although the preferred data source for benefit statistics is 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, the 5 per cent. sample data has been used in this case because it provides some detail not yet available from the 100 per cent. data sources, in particular, more complete information on the disabling conditions of disability living allowance and attendance allowance claimants.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate, 5 per cent. sample

Disability Living Allowance: Chronically Sick

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are receiving disability living allowance under the special rules relating to a terminal illness  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by (i) region and (ii) constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information about the number of people who are receiving disability living allowance under special rules provisions by parliamentary constituency is not available. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance special rules cases in payment, Great Britain, May 2008 
			   Number 
			 All 45,100 
			   
			 North East 2,700 
			 North West 7,600 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,000 
			 East Midlands 3,200 
			 West Midlands 3,900 
			 East of England 3,400 
			 London 5,300 
			 South East 4,600 
			 South West 3,400 
			 Wales 3,000 
			 Scotland 4,100 
			  Notes: 1. Data is taken from a 5 per cent. sample, therefore figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation. They are also adjusted to be consistent with the overall case load from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 3. 'Terminally ill' has been defined as all cases where the main disabling condition is recorded as D00 - Terminal Illness or the award was made under the special rules provision. 4. Figures exclude cases suspended, for example, where the claimant is in hospital.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions 5 per cent. sample.

Disability Living Allowance: Sight Impaired

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to decide whether the higher rate of mobility allowance should be awarded to those who are visually impaired.

Jonathan R Shaw: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 17 November 2008,  Official Report, column 76W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock).

Disability Living Allowance: Sight Impaired

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent estimate his Department has made of the likely cost of extending the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance to include people registered blind; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We have made no recent estimate of the likely cost of extending the higher rate mobility component to registered blind people.
	For the likely costs of extending the higher rate mobility component to people with severe sight impairments, I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett) on 17 September 2008,  Official Report, column 2226W.

Incapacity Benefit

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidelines his Department has in place regarding contacting incapacity benefit claimants by telephone in the evenings and at weekends.

Jonathan R Shaw: Atos Healthcare, formerly Atos Origin Medical Services, provides medical services on behalf of the Department to support the Department's decision making on sickness and disability related benefits, including incapacity benefit.
	Working within departmental guidelines, Atos Healthcare uses a telephone appointment system to contact customers to arrange their medical examination appointments. The telephone lines are open from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday, and 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday to Sunday, as approved by the Department. This allows for both inbound and outbound calls within these times.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's estimate is of the average benefit income of lone parents affected by the changes to the eligibility rules for income support coming into effect in November 2008  (a) before and  (b) immediately after these changes come into effect (i) in the UK and (ii) broken down by the smallest geographical area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Kitty Ussher: Jobseeker's allowance is paid at the same rate as income support so lone parents who claim income support on other grounds or who transfer to jobseeker's allowance will receive the same amount.
	According to latest benefit data (February 2008), the average income support payment for a lone parent with a child aged seven or over is 95.32 per week.
	A table showing the average income support payment for a lone parent with a child aged seven or over, at local authority level, has been placed in the Library.
	The assessment phase rate of employment and support allowance is also paid at the same rate as income support and so, in general, lone parents will see no change to their benefit if they transfer over to employment and support allowance.
	However, those who are in receipt of the income support disability premium and transferring to the main phase of employment and support allowance will receive slightly less (1.85 a week), from the point they transfer to employment and support allowance. Jobcentre Plus identified, and attempted to contact, all the lone parents affected, to make them aware and to invite them to claim income support on the grounds of incapacity to give them an opportunity to remain on income support on the grounds of incapacity. All existing incapacity benefits customers will be moved to employment and support allowance by 2013.

Mentally Ill Staff

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department has gathered on the effect of its policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illnesses within  (a) his Department and  (b) the public sector bodies for which he has responsibility; and what use has been made of that information.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under the Disability Equality Duty introduced by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the Department and its public sector bodies listed in the associated regulations are required to publish and implement Disability Equality Schemes. These are plans setting out how they will carry out the Disability Equality Duty, monitor, and report on progress. In particular this includes their arrangements for gathering information on the effect of their policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of their disabled employees, including those with mental health conditions, and making use of that information.
	The public sector bodies sponsored by my Department that are subject to these requirements are responsible for publishing and implementing their own disability equality schemes.
	In order to carry out the Disability Equality Duty we have adopted a number of specific measures which include:
	all external recruitment advertisements contain the Positive About Disabled People Two Ticks Symbol, which ensures that all applicants who declare a disability are given reasonable adjustments at each stage of the selection process to ensure they are competing on a level playing field.
	when disabled applicants are successful, all relevant adjustments are made, in consultation with the individual and expert advisors where appropriate. Managers keep under review any particular requirements that disabled employees may have, in line with the 'Two Ticks commitments.
	we operate the Workstep scheme, which enables people with severely disabled people to be employed, with support from external providers such as Scope.
	all our employment policies and processes are subject to equality impact assessments in order to assess the impact of the policy or process on disability, race or gender.
	we run a specific development programme for disabled and ethnic minority staff which aims to identify and overcome the barriers that can prevent these groups of staff from fulfilling their potential. The current intake includes staff who have mental health conditions.
	we are currently developing a holistic wellbeing programme to look at and tackle the underlying causes of poor physical and mental health. To assist this we collect and analyse data on sickness absence caused by anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. Our annual staff survey also seeks employees' opinions on the causes and effect of work-related pressure and we collect anonymous data on the reasons our staff telephone our counselling help line.
	In line with the Disability Equality Duty, a report is published every three years to show progress towards disability equality in my policy sector and proposals for co-ordination of future work by relevant public authorities within my policy sector. These reports will show what impact, if any, policies have had on the recruitment and retention of disabled people including those with mental health conditions, and set out proposals to address any gaps identified when establishing the progress made across the policy sector. The first report must be published by December 2008.

Motability

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 69W, on Motability, how many allegations of  (a) fraud and  (b) misuse were substantiated but did not lead to the cancellation of a contract; and what the nature of the fraud or misuse was in each year since 1999.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 18 November 2008
	Motability is an independent charitable company and is responsible for the administration of the Motability scheme. Motability has advised that this information can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	Further information about Motability can be obtained directly from the scheme.

Post Office Card Account

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional functionality the new Post Office Card Account will offer; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The precise functionality will be subject to detailed contractual discussions with Post Office Ltd., but we expect enhancements to include: (i) a simpler more automated opening process for customers (ii) an ability to make payments more quickly into Post Office card accounts through industry standard Faster Electronic Payments (iii) an ability to correct mistakes, for example if the customer withdraws more than they intended to and wants the money immediately put back into their account. This can happen when the customer does not realise, for example, that their winter fuel payment has been paid into their Post Office card account and they ask to withdraw the full balance in their account.

Post Office Card Account

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral statement of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 965-82W, on the Post Office Card Account, what the increased functionality of the new Post Office Card Account will be under the new contract.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 18 November 2008
	The precise functionality will be subject to detailed contractual discussions with Post Office Ltd., but we expect enhancements to include: (i) a simpler more automated opening process for customers (ii) an ability to make payments more quickly into Post Office card accounts through industry standard Faster Electronic Payments (iii) an ability to correct mistakes, for example if the customer withdraws more than they intended to and wants the money immediately put back into their account. This can happen when the customer does not realise, for example, that their winter fuel payment has been paid into their Post Office card account and they ask to withdraw the full balance in their account.

Post Office Card Account

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place a copy of each of the public tender documents for the Post Office Card Account in the Library.

Rosie Winterton: The procurement exercise for a successor to the Post Office card account has been halted and instead another contract will be awarded to Post Office Ltd.
	As the tender process never reached a final conclusion it would serve no purpose to publish anything more than the notice that appeared in the  Official Journal of the European Union (already in the Library) which set out what we intended to procure.

Winter Fuel Payments

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the cost of extending the winter fuel payment to people  (a) receiving the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance and  (b) receiving the higher rate care component of disability living allowance because they are terminally ill, who otherwise would not be entitled to it in each of the next six years in real terms; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: Winter fuel payments are made to people aged 60 or over including those who are disabled or terminally ill.
	The estimated annual cost of extending winter fuel payments to people receiving the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance is in the table.
	
		
			  Estimated annual cost of extending winter fuel payments to people receiving the higher rate mobility component of  disability living allowanceall under 60 (including children) 
			   Total cost in each year at 2008-09 prices  ( million) 
			 2008-09 199 
			 2009-10 160 
			 2010-11 160 
			 2011-12 161 
			 2012-13 162 
			 2013-14 163 
		
	
	The estimated annual cost of extending winter fuel payments to people receiving the higher rate care component of disability living allowance under the special rules relating to a terminal illness is in the table.
	
		
			  Estimated annual cost of extending winter fuel payments to people with a terminal illness receiving the higher rate care component of  disability living allowance  under the special rules all under 60 (including children) 
			   Total cost in each year at 2008-09 prices  ( million) 
			 2008-09 6.6 
			 2009-10 5.6 
			 2010-11 5.7 
			 2011-12 5.8 
			 2012-13 6.0 
			 2013-14 6.1 
		
	
	These estimates include those customers living in a household that already receives a winter fuel payment. It is not possible to identify disability living allowance customers living in households that are not entitled to a winter fuel payment.
	The estimates for 2008-09 are based on a 250 payment, which includes a one off additional payment of 50 for this year. Constant prices have been used, therefore, the estimates are based on a 200 payment for subsequent years.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many studies his Department has  (a) initiated and  (b) completed on the lessons learned for his Department from the war in Afghanistan; and if he will place copies of each completed study in the Library.

Bill Rammell: We continuously review our strategy in Afghanistan to identify and learn lessons for the future. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretaries of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, International Development, and Defence are actively involved. In addition to the work undertaken in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Stabilisation Unit, a cross-Government department, provides specialist, targeted assistance to countries emerging from violent conflict, and the FCO works closely with them to draw on the experience of those in theatre.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Prisons

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Prisons Ordinance 1981 of the British Indian Ocean Territory was intended to authorise.

David Miliband: The British Indian Ocean Territory Ordinance No. 9 of 1981, more generally known as the Prisons Ordinance, 1981, was an Ordinance to make provision for prisons in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). It enables the BIOT Commissioner to declare prisons where necessary to do so. The Ordinance was signed by the then BIOT Commissioner on 27 November 1981.

China: Carbon Emissions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to hold discussions with the Governments of China and India on ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and use more renewable energy resources; and what plans he has to involve the incoming US administration in such discussions.

Gillian Merron: Climate change is not just an environmental problem but something that threatens international peace and security, prosperity and development.
	The UK is seeking to agree, at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009, a comprehensive, global and long-term framework for addressing climate change. This deal must put us on the right pathway for stabilising emissions in the atmosphere at a level that avoids dangerous climate change consistent with global emission pathways in line with the 2 C target.
	It is important that all countries are included in a global deal, and China and India, as well as the United States and the EU, will be critical to achieving it. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has twice visited China this year and held substantive discussions on China's low carbon future. The UK Government have also hosted a number of inward visits from Chinese dignitaries with whom we have had extensive dialogues on climate change.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has also been working with our Chinese (and European) partners to ensure climate change is a priority for the 1 December EU-China summit. We hope that one outcome from this summit might be further discussions on possible low carbon development zones (LCDZ) which could be a very practical step in reducing China's greenhouse gas emissions.
	We are equally committed to continuing our discussions with India about climate change. The British high commission in New Delhi recently hosted the UK-India Structured Dialogue on Climate Change and the global move to low carbon is a consistent theme in our conversations with partners in India.
	We welcome the positive statements President-Elect Obama has made on climate change and energy, and we are looking forward to engaging with his administration when they are formally in place.

Climate Change

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department has made on Departmental Strategic Objective 8 to promote a low carbon, high growth global economy since it was set; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Departmental Strategic Objective (DSO) 7promoting a low carbon, high growth, global economy has five outcomes:
	A visible and accelerated shift in investment initiated in the major economies towards low carbon.
	Political conditions created for an equitable post-2012 agreement at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNTCCC) conference of parties to the Kyoto protocol in Copenhagen in December 2009 of sufficient ambition to avoid dangerous climate change.
	Risks to UK and EU energy security managed through more diverse and reliable external sources of supply and more efficient global markets.
	Increased international commitment to an open, stable and equitable low carbon global economy delivering higher standards of living.
	Increased international commitment to achieve the millennium development goals.
	We are adjusting our strategy to meet the risks of greater protectionism caused by the current economic climate and to preserve the benefits of open markets for trade and investment. We are continuing to make the case for EU leadership on the transition to the low carbon economy outlined by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's speech to the London School of Economics on 7 May.
	We have increased resources in some of our overseas posts in order to deliver the Government's international objectives on tackling climate change in the run up to the international climate change meeting in Copenhagen at the end of 2009. Examples of progress are:
	We are supporting efforts to increase low-carbon co-operation between the EU and China in advance of the EU-China summit on 1 December;
	Leaders in a number of priority countries have expressed a raised level of ambition on climate change, including Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico and South Africa;
	Appointment of the UK Climate Security Envoy for Vulnerable Countries in October;
	Maintaining political momentum for EU 2020 Package;
	June European Council Conclusions called for a financing mechanism for carbon capture and storage and European Parliament approved the use of New Entrant Reserve for funding the 12 EU carbon capture and storage demonstration plants;
	The G8 Summit at Toyako reaffirmed Heiligendamm commitments on the goal of achieving at least 50 per cent. reduction of global emissions by 2050;
	Political agreement at the June Energy Council for the Third Energy Package.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution the UK  (a) provides and  (b) plans to provide to the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The UK contributes 7.8 per cent. of the cost of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) through its assessed payments to the UN's peacekeeping budget, and also contributes through the provision of UK military staff. In the 2007-08 financial year the UK contributed 39,728,447 to MONUC through assessed costs, and provided six military personnel at a cost of 1,077,271. We expect the UK assessed contribution to MONUC in 2008-09 to be approximately 45 million. The UK currently has five military personnel in the mission, including three based in Goma and a senior military advisor to MONUC's force commander. If the UN Security Council mandates an increase in resources for MONUC then our assessed financial contribution to MONUC will increase.
	MONUC's current mandate expires in December 2008, and subject to UN Security Council decisions regarding its renewal, its budget for 2009-10 will be approved by UN member states at the UN's fifth Committee in June 2009. We will keep our voluntary contribution to the mission under review.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is UK policy that the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should be reinforced; and what changes are being proposed.

David Miliband: We fully support the efforts of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (MONUC) to reinforce its presence in and around Goma by moving troops and resources from other areas of the DRC.
	The UK is committed to working with international partners and the UN to ensure MONUC's resources are utilised as efficiently as possible and targeted where they are most needed.
	The UN Secretary-General has written to UN Security Council member states requesting further resources for MONUC and will present further recommendations on the restructuring of MONUC to the Security Council in his report due to be issued on 19 November. The extra resources are likely to be further troops and enablers, such as air support. We will support a properly evidenced request for extra resources and will work closely with Security Council partners to agree on the resources required by MONUC.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what IT projects  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies is undertaking; and what the most recent estimate of (i) the cost and (ii) the completion date of each is.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO Services, an executive agency of the FCO, undertakes a wide range of IT-enabled projects. Some are managed centrally, while others are initiated and managed by the holders of devolved budgets both in the UK or at posts overseas. Details of the larger projects, requiring formal approval by the FCO's Investment Committee, are shown in the following table. In some of these, FCO Services was a supplier for the project.
	
		
			  Current information technology projects  2 million  Expected completion date  Estimated costs million 
			 Future Firecrest Programme(1) February 2012 401.0 
			 FCO Web Platform December 2008 9.7 
			 FTN (FCO Telecommunications Network) PFI Implementation and service 2000 to 2010(2) May 2010 252.0 
			 Ocean (Telecommunications procurement)(3) November 2009 7.6 
			 Prism Simplification April 2009 5.3 
			 Prism Management Information Phase 1 April 2009 3.1 
			 FEDIS Phase 1Emergency Passports December 2009 4.5 
			 Secure Video Conferencing December 2008 2.5 
			 (1) Previous answers to similar questions from other hon. Members have included just the AIM project, the largest single project within a programme that includes also an electronic document records management system, business change, and various other items needed to effect the comprehensive replacement of the FCO desktop infrastructure. (2 )FTN is a service, chargeable by usage. The figure given is the total service charge anticipated over the 10 years of the contract and includes both implementation and running costs. (3 )Ocean is led by FCO; the scope includes the procurement of the successor to FTN, but also the cross-Government managed Telephony Service and the Government secure intranet. The cost given here is that to be incurred by the FCO.

Departmental Marketing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of Government-commissioned advertising in the last 12 months relating to matters falling within the remit of his Department.

Gillian Merron: Obtaining full information to answer this question would involve contacting a wide range of departments within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, and a large number of our posts overseas. This could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pensions

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department and its agencies are members of the  (a) Classic,  (b) Classic Plus,  (c) Nuvos and  (d) Premium civil service pension schemes.

Gillian Merron: The following table shows the distribution of UK civil servants employed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and FCO services between the various civil service pension schemes.
	
		
			  Scheme  Number of members  Percentage of staff 
			 Classic 4,598 66 
			 Classic Plus 326 5 
			 Premium 1,834 26 
			 Nuvos 207 3

Departmental Public Participation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many citizens' juries his Department has held since 1 July 2007; what the cost was of each; what issues were discussed at each event; and how many  (a) Ministers and  (b) members of the public attended each event.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not held any citizens' juries in this period.

Departmental Security

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many security passes have been reported  (a) lost and  (b) stolen by staff in (i) his Department and (ii) agencies sponsored by his Department in each year since 2001.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1071W.

Departmental Telephone Services

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what agencies or units for which his Department is responsible require the public to make telephone calls to them on numbers which charge more than the national call rate; and how much income each such agency has derived from such charges in each of the last three years.

Gillian Merron: No telephone numbers, in use by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) or its agencies, require the public to make telephone calls which charge more than the national rate.
	A contractor, on behalf of the FCO's consular directorate, maintains one local rate number (0845) in use for the public to obtain travel advice. This service supplies all travel advice offered by the FCO and is primarily aimed at people calling from the UK, but is contactable from certain countries outside of the UK. No income is derived from this number.

Departmental Visits Abroad

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost of overseas visits by each Minister in his Department has been since 1997.

Gillian Merron: Since 1999, the Government have published the total cost of all overseas travel by Ministers and a list of all overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over 500. Information for 2007-08 was published on 22 July 2008,  Official Report, column 102WS. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
	Information in respect of overseas visits by all Ministers for the period 1997-99 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Diego Garcia: Aviation

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who is responsible for maintaining and possessing the flight logs of aeroplanes flying in and out of Diego Garcia.

David Miliband: Records on flight departures and arrivals on Diego Garcia are held by the UK authorities on the island. Records are generally kept for a period of between three and five years. These include the Customs and Immigration Daily Occurrence Log and the General Declarations made by all aircraft on arrival. In addition to this, a seven-day rolling flight schedule is given to the UK authorities on the island by the US authorities on a daily basis. Any changes to this schedule are also notified to the UK authorities.

Diego Garcia: Detainees

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United States is required to seek permission from the UK Government to use UK-run civilian detention facilities on Diego Garcia.

David Miliband: The UK detention facility on Diego Garcia is operated and staffed by the UK authorities and there is no standing agreement between the US and the UK for use of the facility. The US would, therefore, be required to seek permission from the UK authorities if they wished to use the facility.

Diego Garcia: Detainees

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there is a US-administered military detention facility on Diego Garcia.

David Miliband: The US detention facility (for US servicemen within the US base) on Diego Garcia was decommissioned in August 2007. There is now only one detention facility on Diego Garcia. It is operated by the UK authorities.

Diego Garcia: Detainees

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have been held in the police station on the island of Diego Garcia since 2001; and for what reasons in each case.

David Miliband: Our records indicate that, since 2001, approximately 200 people have been held in the police station and/or the detention facility. A significant proportion of those were detained in connection with illegal fishing in British Indian Ocean Territory waters, assault or being drunk and disorderly. Others were held under suspicion of or having been found guilty of one or more of the following offences under British Indian Ocean Territory law: driving whilst disqualified; causing criminal damage; violations of the Visitors and Visiting Vessels Ordinance; driving under the influence; dangerous driving; breaking and entering; importing prohibited articles; being drunk and incapable; attempted murder; drunkenness; harassment; fighting; taking a vehicle without consent; grievous bodily harm; actual bodily harm; wounding with intent; indecent assault; burglary; leaving the scene of an accident; rape; vagrancy; threatening behaviour; obtaining property by deception; affray; mooring in the outer islands without permission; possession of an offensive weapon; indecency; driving without a licence; theft; and urinating in public.

Diego Garcia: Military Bases

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there have been any requests put  (a) to British officials based in Diego Garcia and  (b) directly to his Department since 2001 to (i) change the nature of US facilities on the island, (ii) construct new US facilities and (iii) extend existing US facilities.

David Miliband: Under Section 2(b) of the 1966 Exchange of Notes, before either the US or UK Government proceeds to construct or install any facility in the British Indian Ocean Territory, which includes the island of Diego Garcia, both Governments shall first approve in principle the requirement for that facility, and the appropriate administrative authorities of the two Governments shall reach mutually satisfactory arrangements concerning specific areas and technical requirements for respective defence purposes.
	Approval under the Exchange of Notes is only required for construction or installation of major new developments. Such developments would be of the order of an air staging base, a fleet support installation or a space tracking station. The UK authorities have received several requests from the US for upgrades to existing facilities within the Exchange of Notes since 2001. In August 2001, the UK received a request for infrastructure upgrades to the existing US Navy support facility on Diego Garcia and its designation as a bomber forward operating location. Further requests for infrastructure upgrades were received in July 2002. In November 2004, the UK received a request from the US to expand the existing satellite tracking station on Diego Garcia.

Diego Garcia: Military Bases

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there have been any requests from the US Administration for permission to use their facilities on Diego Garcia for extraordinary purposes since 2001.

David Miliband: With thanks to the hon. Member for his subsequent clarification of the information that he seeks: there have been no requests from the United States to use Diego Garcia for purposes outside of the agreements governing their use of the island.

Georgia: Russia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of relations between Georgia and Russia; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Relations between Georgia and Russia are strained, following the conflict in August.
	The EU and Organisation for Security Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) ceasefire plan, brokered between President Sarkozy and President Medvedev on 12 August, included a commitment to talks on security and stability in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The first round of these talks took place in Geneva on 15 October under EU chairmanship with UN and OSCE participation. The next meeting is scheduled for 18 November. We are encouraging both Georgia and Russia to engage constructively and hope that this will lead to a lasting, peaceful solution. In the meantime we urge restraint on both sides.

Ilois: Resettlement

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has held with the Chagos islanders on their wish to return to the Chagos Islands.

Gillian Merron: In April this year discussions were held with the Diego Garcia Society about the possibility of a visit to the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) by a group of Chagossians who had settled in the UK. A visit was agreed to take place from 15-22 November, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Officials have been in frequent touch with the Diego Garcia Society over the arrangements.
	In August, the Chagos Refugees Group met with the Acting Commissioner of BIOT to discuss various issues of concern to Chagossians living in or hoping to live in the UK. Future visits to the territory were also discussed.
	On neither occasion was the issue of a return to BIOT by the Chagossians raised. The issue was sub judice following the Government's appeal to the House of Lords.
	Our high commissions in Port Louis and Victoria are also regularly in touch with the Chagossian communities in Mauritius and the Seychelles.

Iraq: Asylum

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much it has cost to date to administer the Locally Employed Staff Assistance scheme for Iraqi nationals; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The cost to date of administering the Iraq locally employed staff assistance scheme are as follows:
	The cost of administering the scheme at our missions in Iraq is 256,000. The cost of administration at our embassy in Amman is 27,000. These costs include staff and overheads.
	Administration costs are also being incurred in London by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Department for International Development (DfID), UK Boarders Agency (UKBA) and Ministry of Defence (MOD). FCO has so far incurred 75,000 costs, DfID 15,000 and UKBA 156,000. The costs incurred by MOD are not yet available and will be forwarded in an addendum to this answer.
	The Government have also contributed US$80,000 to the UN high commissioner for refugees to enable the recruitment of two additional members of staff to process applications under the scheme.
	This gives a total cost (excluding MOD costs) of 529,000 plus US$80,000.
	These statistics represent costs to date and do not include the Gateway Resettlement programme which has allocated 12,000,000 over two years to resettle 600 Iraqi former locally employed staff and their dependents. It also excludes the financial assistance package payments of US$2,418,552 made to staff as set out in PQ 227954.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the legal basis for the presence of UK forces in Iraq will be after the expiry of the UN mandate in December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: I have been asked to reply.
	The multinational force, including British forces, operates in Iraq under the mandate of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1790 and at the request of the Government of Iraq. The UK and the Government of Iraq are negotiating a legal framework to allow us to continue to provide the assistance requested of us by the Iraqi authorities, laying the foundations for a long-term normalised bilateral relationship. Our negotiations have made good progress and we expect to conclude an agreement prior to the expiry of UN Security Council Resolution 1790 at the end of 2008.

Plain English

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many documents produced by his Department were submitted to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in each year since 2005; and how many documents achieved such status in each year.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) submitted 22 documents to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in 2005, and five in 2006. All of these documents were approved for a Crystal Mark. The FCO did not submit any documents in 2007 and 2008.

Plain English

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many documents produced by his Department were submitted to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in each year since 2005; and how many documents achieved such status in each year.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) submitted 22 documents to the Plain English Campaign for approval for Crystal Mark status in 2005, and five in 2006. All of these documents were approved for a Crystal Mark. The FCO did not submit any documents in 2007 and 2008.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Hurricanes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department plans to provide to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands during the reconstruction phase following Hurricane Ike; on what basis overseas territories receive financial assistance from the Government for help with reconstruction efforts following natural disasters; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for International Development (DFID), jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has indicated a willingness to provide up to 5 million to support post Hurricane Ike priority reconstruction needs.
	Overseas Territories receive assistance for reconstruction after natural disasters on the basis of our assessment of a range of factors. These include the scale of damage suffered, the urgency of the need, the extent of the territory's capacity to meet recovery costs itself. We also take into account the likelihood of receiving assistance from other sources, such as from insurance.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Catering

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether food and drink on sale to staff of  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies at official premises is subsidised from public funds.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department subsidises the sale of food and drink at its offices at Cockspur street.
	The Royal Parks, the Department's one executive agency, does not subsidise the sale of food to staff from public funds.

Gambling

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether he plans to revise his guidance on split premises and adult gaming centres.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 13 November 2008
	In line with its responsibilities under the Gambling Act 2005, the Gambling Commission is required to provide Guidance to Licensing Authorities (GLA) and, in turn, Licensing Authorities are required to have regard to this advice.
	Following a full public consultation the Gambling Commission issued revised guidance on 31 October 2008 to licensing authorities on split premises and also on the primary purpose of the gambling activity. This revision to the second edition of the GLA took immediate effect.
	This guidance covers all gambling facilities, though the issues on split premises have emerged primarily in respect of adult gaming centres and bingo clubs. A copy of the guidance can be found on the Gambling Commission website at the following link:
	http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Client/mediatail.asp?mediaid=138

Licensing Laws

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to amend the legislation relating to applications for licences under the Licensing Act 2003 so that  (a) right hon. and hon. Members and  (b) local councillors can (i) make representations to and (ii) speak at application hearings on behalf of their constituents without the necessity of first being asked by a constituent to do so; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 16 October 2008
	I believe that the current arrangements for making representations sufficiently protect the rights of local residents in licensing cases. Local residents and local businesses may make representations or seek a review under the Act, as can bodies acting on their behalf (e.g. residents' associations, parish or town councils, or trade associations). Any of these individuals or groups may specifically request a representative to make a representation on their behalf (e.g. a Member of Parliament or a local ward or parish councillor). Local councillors can also make representations in their own right if they live or are involved in a business in the vicinity of the premises in question. I have received no indication from any source that these arrangements have led to significant problems. Furthermore, I think it would be inappropriate for an hon. Member or ward or parish councillor who is not personally affected by the premises in question to make representations without first obtaining the authorisation, by way of a request, of those who are.

Music: Internet

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to protect smaller music bands and record labels from illegal downloading.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The problem of unlawful peer-to-peer file-sharing was addressed in the Government's consultation which closed on 30 October. This identified potential regulatory options including the Government's preferred co-regulatory approach.
	We have had a good response from individual members of the public, trade associations, Internet Service Providers and consumer groups as well as companies and organisations from the content industries (including music). These responses need to be considered and evaluated both in terms of unlawful file-sharing but also in the wider context of the Digital Britain Report.
	File-sharing itself is a manifestation of the new digital age and the communications revolution of the last 20 years. It is the result of converged technologies and new consumer behaviours and dealing with it may require a combination of responses by a number of players, including Government. The Digital Britain work will look to deliver a digital copyright framework which supports creativity, investment and job creation in the creative sectors.
	We would expect that any action which significantly reduced the overall level of unlawful file-sharing would benefit the smaller music bands and record labels.

Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department left under  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 2005-06; how many of them in each case were paid (i) up to 25,000, (ii) 25,001 to 50,000, (iii) 50,001 to 75,000, (iv) 75,001 to 100,000 and (v) over 100,000 in the year before they left; and how much (A) was spent in each of those years and (B) is planned to be spent on such schemes in (1) 2008-09 and (2) 2009-10 by (Y) his Department and (Z) its agency.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport there have been no  (a) involuntary or  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in any year since 2005-06. There are none planned for 2008-09 or 2009-10. In our agency the Royal Parks there was an involuntary staff exit scheme in 2006-07 but as the numbers of staff involved were less than five we are unable to reveal how much they were paid in order to protect the privacy of the individuals. There are no staff exit schemes planned in the Royal Parks for 2008-09 or 2009-10.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has plans to fund a catering training institute in Sylhet, Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) is funding the Hotel and Catering Institute in Sylhet, through the Skills and Opportunities for Employment Project (SKOPE). This funding was approved in February 2008. SKOPE is a three-year, 12.9 million project run by a leading Bangladesh education non-governmental organisation (NGO) (the Under Privileged Children's Education Project, UCEP). It provides skills and training to the urban poor that is directly linked to getting a job in the private sector. A portion of this project, 400,000, has been ear-marked to establish the Hotel and Catering Institute in Sylhet. The Institute will be a private-public partnership between UCEP and the Government of Bangladesh. A Memorandum of Understanding to that effect was signed this year on. 1 September.
	The foundation stone for the architect-designed, three-storey building will be laid on 25 November 2008, in the presence of senior UK and Bangladesh Government officials. The Institute will provide training in food preparation and cooking, beverages, reception, and accommodation services. Around 300 students will complete training in the first five years, and this should provide a model for future skills development in Bangladesh.

Cayman Islands: Hurricanes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of islands on the Cayman Islands which have been affected by the recent hurricane.

Michael Foster: Hurricane Paloma caused minimal damage to the main island of Grand Cayman. Little Cayman and Cayman Brae, which have a combined population of 2,000, suffered extensive infrastructure damage.

Cayman Islands: Hurricanes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the level of the damage caused by the recent hurricane to hit the Cayman Islands; and what estimate he has made of the cost of reconstruction.

Michael Foster: Hurricane Paloma caused extensive damage to infrastructure on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. There was minimal damage to the main island of Grand Cayman.
	Initial reports indicated that up to 80 per cent. of houses on Cayman Brac were damaged. There were no deaths or major injuries. It is too early to determine the cost of reconstruction. The Cayman Islands government are undertaking a detailed impact assessment with the assistance of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. We have offered support for this assessment.

Cayman Islands: Hurricanes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department has provided for the Cayman Islands following the recent hurricane.

Michael Foster: The Royal Navy hurricane patrol assisted Cayman Island authorities with an initial reconnaissance of Cayman Brac in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Paloma, with reopening of the airport and with the distribution of relief supplies provided by the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Royal Navy.
	The emergency response for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman has been effective and well co-ordinated. The government of the Cayman Islands has not requested external assistance.

Chain Reaction Conference

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department provided to the Chain Reaction conference on 17 to 18 November 2008.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development provided 100,000 to the Chain Reaction conference.

Departmental Accountancy

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's  (a) chart of accounts and  (b) resource account codes and usage descriptions for the financial years (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.

Douglas Alexander: A copy of the Department for International Development's (DFID) chart of accounts for 2006-07 and 2007-08 will be placed in the Library.
	The codes used in the chart are also used for preparing resource accounts. Each code has a brief description that describes its use.

Montserrat

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government is taking to encourage tourists to visit Montserrat.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) has recently approved funding of nearly 1 million for a three-year Montserrat tourism development project, building on support provided in previous years. The project will also receive financing from the European Union's European Development Fund.
	The project will improve tourism infrastructure, in particular marine and beach environments, walking trails, and develop the Volcano Visitor Centre. It will also regenerate marketing activities and develop tourist services to international standards. The project includes a community-based challenge fund to support creative ideas for tourism investment.
	Other work supported by the DFID, including the development of the new capital town at Little Bay and the improvement of air and sea services to the island, will also contribute to enhancing Montserrat as a tourist destination.

Montserrat

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with the government of Montserrat on encouraging alternative industries to tourism in Montserrat.

Michael Foster: Officials from the Department for International Development (DFID) are in regular contact with the Montserrat government on business development initiatives.
	DFID has financed the establishment of the Montserrat Development Corporation (MDC) in 2007 to promote private sector development. The corporation is implementing a programme to support local businesses and to expand and diversify the economy. Plans are being developed in renewable energy, fruit and vegetable processing, and volcano-related products, including the manufacture of composite building materials using volcanic ash. We are separately financing projects to explore the potential for commercial wind-power and geothermal energy production.

Montserrat

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether there are plans to develop the transport infrastructure of Montserrat.

Michael Foster: The new airport on Montserrat was completed in 2005. Focus has now shifted to the improvement of sea access. A preferred option for harbour improvements and the construction of a breakwater in Little Bay has been agreed by the government of Montserrat and detailed design studies are expected to be commissioned shortly.
	A road investment programme to improve the main arterial route on the island is planned to start in 2009. We have agreed in principle to fund this, which is likely to cost in the region of 3 million.
	We are also supporting the Montserrat government's efforts to improve services,
	notably through the re-introduction of a ferry route to Antigua and the appointment of an access co-ordinator to ensure better quality and reliability of both air and ferry services to the island.

Montserrat

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will provide financial assistance to Montserrat to establish a network of abattoirs for the humane slaughter of animals.

Michael Foster: We recognise there is a need for improved livestock slaughtering arrangements in Montserrat. We are willing to provide financial assistance for an appropriate solution, which is likely to be a single facility rather than a network of abattoirs. The Montserrat government is currently developing proposals.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Overseas Aid

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department plans to provide to the residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands during reconstruction following Hurricane Ike; and whether this includes a cash element.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development, jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated an intention to provide up to 5 million to support the post Hurricane reconstruction plan. This will be subject to agreements on managing the funds, including the appointment of technical expertise to oversee the use of all funds, to ensure that they are targeted to the most vulnerable.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Overseas Aid

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what role his Department has played in the development of a long-term recovery plan for the Turks and Caicos Islands following Hurricane Ike.

Michael Foster: In conjunction with other international agencies, the Department for International Development (DFID) has funded expert technical support to the Government of the Turks and Caicos Island (TCI). The United Nations Development Programme has engaged a consultant to assist the TCI Government develop its reconstruction plan.
	DFID, jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated an intention to provide up to 5 million to support the reconstruction plan.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Aerials: Planning Permission

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information her Department holds on the number of mobile telephone mast planning applications which were  (a) refused and  (b) approved in the latest period for which figures are available; and what average number of objections to such applications were received in that period.

Iain Wright: The Department does not hold this information.

Buildings: Demolition

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what statistics  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies collect on the number of demolitions of non-domestic dwellings.

John Healey: Neither the Department nor its agencies collect statistics on the number of demolitions of non-domestic properties.

Business Links: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1256W, on business links: finance, which projects are under investigation for potential financial irregularities.

John Healey: The information cannot be disclosed due to commercial confidentiality.

Business Links: Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1256W, on business links: finance, what the timetable is for the investigation of the financial irregularities in the Business Link projects funded under the Interreg programme.

John Healey: The Business Link projects funded under the Interreg programme, which have been subject to audit checks, have been submitted in a report to the European Commission. The European Commission has not set a specific timetable for responding to my Department.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of carbon monoxide poisoning in private homes.

Iain Wright: Landlords are responsible for maintaining their properties, including the safety of gas and electrical appliances and the fire safety of furniture and furnishings provided under the tenancy. All private landlords are required by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 to ensure that all gas appliances are maintained in good order and that an annual gas safety check is carried out by a CORGI-registered tradesman.
	There are no current requirements to install carbon monoxide monitors in privately rented properties. However, we are keen to promote good practice and landlords' organisations are already engaged on safety issues and are involved in the promotion of good practice to their members.
	The Building Regulations are reviewed periodically on the basis of advice from technical experts, and we are planning later this year to look at the changes and developments that have taken place since our last review in 2002.

Community Relations: Dalits

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will assess the extent of inter-communal discrimination against Dalit people living in the UK.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Communities and Local Government has conducted, with stakeholders, an informal scoping exercise to learn more about the extent to which some communities believe caste is a continuing social phenomenon within British society and to identify any evidence that individuals have been discriminated against on these grounds. We are currently in the process of assessing responses received.

Council Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations are being paid to facilitate work for her Department on  (a) council housing,  (b) the review of council housing finance and  (c) the housing reform green paper; and how much each organisation is being paid.

Iain Wright: holding answer 13 November 2008
	In terms of  (a) council housing, there are too many organisations to list on this topic. This question would need to be more specific for us to be able to respond.
	In terms of  (b) the review of council housing finance:
	Housing Quality Network - An Evaluation of Management and Maintenance Costs in Local Authorities - 29,980;
	Housemark - Evaluation of Management and Maintenance Costs (data supply) -9,600;
	Building Research Establishment - Review of the Major Repairs Allowance 35,388;
	Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) are providing organisational support and facilitation in the delivery of theme-based and regional workshops, hosting an e-forum and developing narratives. This contract will be concluded towards the latter stages of the Review and will be under 100,000 in total;
	GFK-NOP - Research into tenants' attitudes towards Council Housing Finance and Rents Policy - 28,898;
	Professor Steve Wilcox - Analysis of Rents - 18,500;
	Sharp Research Services - Processing of Tenant Questionnaire - 8,550;
	Tribal Consulting - Analysis of Debt Options - 16,400;
	David Hall and Professor Michael Jones, CLG Expert Panel - Analysis of Evidence Gaps - 14,687;
	Wave 9 of the Housing Corporation Residents' Panel Survey - 11,900;
	Sheffield City Council has seconded a member of staff for up to 3.5 days per week to lead on two of the four workstreams in the Review;
	In terms of  (c) the housing reform green paper:
	Ipsos MORI- Omnibus survey module aimed at lower income groups- 121,575;
	Ipsos MORI - The housing choices of low income groups, and attitudes and experiences towards different types of housing advice, support and provisions - 41,400;
	Sarah Monk and Anne Green, CLG expert panel - Review of existing data on attitudes to housing and the social housing Sector- 9,700;
	Danny Dorling and Alex Marsh - CLG expert panel- Discussions on demographic and future challenges linked to the Housing Green Paper- 2,900;
	Ken Gibb, CLG expert panel - Support to the Housing Green Paper Modelling Workstream- 3,000;
	The CIH have developed and are managing an e-forum to allow stakeholders and members of the public including tenants to debate housing reform - 2,000. This amount is included within the wider contract with the CIH on the housing finance review (listed above).
	All costs are exclusive of VAT.

Council Tax: Fraud

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate the Audit Commission has made under the National Fraud Initiative of the  (a) level and  (b) number of fraudulent claims of council tax discounts.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 125-26W.

Deprivation Indicators

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list in descending order the  (a) current and  (b) previous rankings of all lower super output areas (LSOA) in the principal seaside towns in the top 15 per cent. most deprived LSOA areas, giving the (i) local authority, (ii) seaside town, (iii) LSOA code and (iv) LSOA ward in each case.

John Healey: A table has been deposited in the Library of the House that lists the lower super output area (LSOAs) in the principal seaside towns which falls within the 15 per cent. most deprived on the Index of Multiple Deprivation for 2004 and 2007.

Eco-towns: Shelter

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 122W, on eco-towns 
	(1)  how much funding has been  (a) provided and  (b) allocated for future financial years to Shelter in relation to work on eco-towns;
	(2)  on what grounds her Department decided to give funding to Shelter; and whether the decision to provide such funding was made by a Minister.

Iain Wright: We have committed 166,000 + VAT to Shelter in relation to their project on eco-towns. The funding has been provided for this specific project only and at this stage there are no plans for further funding to Shelter in future financial years in relation to eco-towns. This project was supported by the then Housing Minister, my right hon. Friend for Don Valley (Caroline Flint).
	We agreed to provide funding to Shelter to assist them with this project on the basis of a proposal that they put to the Department to produce publications to provide information about the housing situation in and around potential eco-town locations, with associated dissemination, so that people are able to make an informed input to decisions about whether an eco-town should go ahead. Any views expressed in the document are those of the authors and not my Department.

Energy Performance Certificates

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of energy performance certificates in encouraging homeowners to improve levels of domestic energy efficiency.

Iain Wright: The Department will commission research to assess the effectiveness of energy performance certificates, including the extent to which recommendations are followed up, early in the new year.

Government Offices National Indicator Analysis Tool

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) purpose and  (b) specification of her Department's Government Offices National Indicator Analysis Tool scoping project is.

John Healey: The purpose of the national indicator analysis tool is to drive the performance management of the national indicators (NIs) and local area agreement (LAA) targets.
	The specification of this stage of work is to work with the Government Office and LSP potential users of this tool to understand better their requirements and to provide advice and an options appraisal on how best to deliver the requirement.

Home Ownership Incentive Schemes

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much local authority stock was sold under the Right to Buy scheme in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the number of local authority right to buy sales in England for each year since 1997-98.
	
		
			   Local authority right to buy sales 
			 1997-98 41,330 
			 1998-99 40,270 
			 1999-2000 54,250 
			 2000-01 52,380 
			 2001-02 51,970 
			 2002-03 63,390 
			 2003-04 69,580 
			 2004-05 49,980 
			 2005-06 26,660 
			 2006-07 16,900 
			 2007-08 11,960 
			  Source: Quarterly P1B returns from local authorities.

Homelessness

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government has taken to reduce levels of  (a) street and  (b) youth homelessness.

Iain Wright: We have long recognised that the most visible form of homelessness is that of people sleeping on the streets. In 1998 the then Prime Minister set a target that by 2002 the number of rough sleepers should be reduced by at least two thirds. The target was met ahead of time and is being sustained. On 18 November we launched a new strategy No One Left Out: communities ending rough sleeping, in which we stated our vision to end rough sleeping once and for all by 2012. The strategy includes a 15 point action plan which has been developed with leading rough sleeping charities and will use action, advice and assistance across England to prevent the flow of people onto the streets, as well as to support those already there to get off the streets into stability.
	In November 2006 the Government announced a package of measures to prevent and tackle youth homelessness. Alongside this we made a commitment that by 2010, no 16 or 17-year-olds should be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation by a local authority under the homelessness legislation, except in an emergency. Since then we have seen a dramatic fall from an estimated baseline of 1,000 in September 2006 to 420 at the end of June this year.
	We have improved access to homelessness mediation across the country (including family mediation for young people) and have helped local authorities establish supported lodgings schemes across the country, providing accommodation, advice and mediation services for young people who can no longer stay in the family home.

Homelessness

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent steps the Government has taken to promote services available to people who are homeless.

Iain Wright: We have allocated 200 million to local authorities and voluntary organisations over the next three years to support their strategies for tackling and preventing homelessness in their areasthe biggest cash injection for homelessness services. It is for local authorities to determine how they promote homelessness services that best serve their communities.
	We also invested 90 million capital funding in 2005-08, to improve hostels and day centres used by rough sleepers so they can move into education and employment and make the transition from the street to a settled home. A further 80 million capital funding has been allocated through our Places of Change Programme to work in partnership with voluntary organisations to build on the success of improving hostels and day centres.
	We provide 2.5 million funding to the National Homelessness Advice Service which is a partnership between Citizens Advice and Shelter, to ensure high quality advice on homelessness prevention through the network of participating Citizens Advice Bureaux and other voluntary agencies across England.
	In September we announced a 200 million mortgage rescue scheme, which will help up to 6,000 of the most vulnerable households facing repossession over the next two years. The scheme will be launched very shortly.

Homelessness: Cornwall

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have been recorded as homeless in  (a) Cornwall,  (b) the South West and  (c) each parliamentary constituency in Cornwall since 1979.

Iain Wright: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected include all decisions made on applications by eligible applicants, and the number of applicants accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). These households are known as 'accepted' households. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available. Information on acceptances and number of households in temporary accommodation at local authority level is available from 1997-98 onwards.
	Figures at parliamentary constituency level are not held centrally. A table summarising homelessness figures for the South West region and each local authority within Cornwall, for the past 10 years, including (a) the total number of households accepted as owed the main homelessness duty, and (b) the total number of households in temporary accommodation are provided as follows:
	
		
			  Table A: Number of households in local authorities within Cornwall accepted( 1)  as owed a main homelessness duty during the year, 1997-98 to 2007-08 
			  Cornwall  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Caradon 70 40 78 171 169 131 69 59 58 35 31 
			 Carrick 149 186 207 191 163 (2) 177 179 171 115 97 
			 Kerrier 134 (2) 153 (2) 220 240 220 111 74 57 63 
			 North Cornwall 181 116 211 226 191 209 184 208 173 88 121 
			 Penwith 164 168 146 143 189 180 201 174 159 128 69 
			 Restormel 199 166 181 159 205 241 225 138 130 123 116 
			 South West Region(3) 8,980 8,930 9,790 11,360 11,300 12,790 11,230 9,680 7,820 5,270 4,520 
			 (1) Households eligible under homelessness legislation, found to be unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty. (2) Data not reported. (3) Regional figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Number of households in temporary accommodation( 1)  in local authorities within Cornwall, March 1998-March 2007 
			  Cornwall  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Caradon 12 17 20 21 30 64 17 32 20 15 17 
			 Carrick 85 105 119 132 162 193 215 252 313 254 210 
			 Kerrier 38 46 36 71 128 204 190 202 200 129 82 
			 North Cornwall 36 21 44 33 42 46 59 81 95 44 29 
			 Penwith 8 14 13 22 46 96 144 234 259 245 188 
			 Restormel 85 72 94 123 129 176 202 209 172 162 138 
			 South West Region(2) 3,270 4,720 4,780 5,600 5,790 6,530 6,150 6,740 6,360 5,140 4,180 
			 (1 )Households in accommodation either pending a decision on their homelessness application or awaiting allocation of a settled home following acceptance. Excludes those households designated homeless at home that have remained in their existing accommodation and have the same rights to suitable accommodation as those in accommodation arranged by the authority. (2) Regional figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: CLG P1E Homelessness returns (quarterly) 
		
	
	The regional data on acceptances and temporary accommodation can also be found in our published quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness. This is published on our website and placed in the Library each quarter. The latest release was published on 11 September 2008, and provides national and regional acceptance figures in table 3, and temporary accommodation figures in table 7, both back to 1997:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/840324.xls

Housing

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what reports on housing policy her Department and its predecessors have  (a) commissioned and  (b) issued in each year since 1997; and what the cost of (i) drafting and (ii) producing each was.

Iain Wright: Departmental reports are published in accordance with the Communities and Local Government Publications scheme, details of which can be found on the departmental website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/about/freedomofinformation/communitieslgps/publication-scheme/
	A list of publications can be found on the departmental website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/publications/all/?viewPrevious=true
	The information requested is not available in the form requested and could be issued only at disproportionate cost.

Housing: Construction

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of changes in the  (a) market for housing,  (b) availability of mortgage finance and  (c) projected house completion rates on her Department's (i) targets for annual house building and (ii) estimates of housing need in each Government region.

Iain Wright: The Government recognise that current international credit conditions pose serious difficulties for all housing sectors.
	However, the Government remain committed to the delivery of the homes we need over the long-term to accommodate our ageing, growing population. We remain committed to achieving an annual completion rate of 240,000 net additions per year, and continue to work with regional partners to ensure that there is capacity in the planning system to achieve this.

Housing: EC Law

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 125W, on housing: regeneration, for what reasons the Government Office was found not to have complied with the European Commission's regulations.

John Healey: In 2007, the European Commission suspended payments on the 2000-06 North West ERDF Objective 2 and Urban programmes because of deficiencies in aspects of the recording of actions taken by intermediate bodies engaged in the delivery of the programme in the amount of on-site checking of project expenditure that had been carried out to the end of 2006. There was no suggestion of financial impropriety and vigorous action has been taken since to rectify the problems identified.

Housing: Elderly

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimates she has made of the number of over-80s households in  (a) the Vale of York,  (b) North Yorkshire and  (c) the UK.

Iain Wright: The following table shows the projected number of 'over-80s' households in York local authority, North Yorkshire and England for mid 2008.
	
		
			   Number of over 80s households for mid 2008  (Thousand) 
			 York local authority 7 
			 North Yorkshire 30 
			 England 1,690 
		
	
	The figures are from the Communities and Local Government Household Projections (revised 2004-based). These provide figures for England only, not UK.

Housing: Low Incomes

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she has assessed the merits of revising her targets for the creation of new  (a) social and  (b) intermediate market housing in the light of recent changes in the housing market and house building sectors.

Iain Wright: We remain committed to the delivery of affordable housing for social rent and low cost home ownership. Our aspiration is to reach 70,000 homes a year by 2010-11, of which, 45,000 are for social rent with 50,000 a year during the next Spending Review period, our long-term aspiration. This is still some time away and it remains too early, given current market conditions, to predict outputs with certainty.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 124-5W, on housing: low incomes, what data her Department and its predecessors have transferred to the Valuation Office Agency from the National Register of Social Housing.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 3 September 2007,  Official Report, column 1700W.

Housing: Low Incomes

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 124-54W, on housing: low incomes, and with reference to the December 2004 letter to local authority directors of housing from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Divisional Head of Housing Data and Statistics, how many local authorities provided data to the Valuation Office Agency to assist with the council tax revaluation  (a) directly and  (b) via her Department's predecessor.

John Healey: No data were provided directly. 134 local authorities provided information via the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Housing: Low Incomes

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has allocated for affordable housing in Crosby constituency in the next three years.

Iain Wright: Over the three years, 2008 to 2011, an indicative total of over 830 million is being made available through the regional housing pot for the north west region, of this around 525 million has been earmarked for use through the Affordable Housing programme. Allocations are not made to constituency levels.

Housing: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 628W, on housing: valuation, if she will place in the Library information that identifies the geographical extent of each locality for the Valuation Office area of Hammersmith and Fulham.

John Healey: The extent of any locality is the intellectual property of an arm of government, and as such, is commercially sensitive. It is not appropriate to place this in the public domain.

Local Government Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1279W, on local government finance, which  (a) district councils,  (b) metropolitan councils,  (c) unitary council and  (d) London boroughs will receive the lowest possible increase in grant from her Department in 2008-09.

John Healey: The information is as follows:
	 (a) 94 district councils will all receive a 1 per cent. increase in formula grant in 2008-09. This is the minimum percentage increase for district authorities in 2008-09. The authorities are as follows:
	Adur
	Allerdale
	Alnwick
	Arun
	Berwick-upon-Tweed
	Blyth Valley
	Brentwood
	Bridgnorth
	Broxbourne
	Cambridge
	Carlisle
	Castle Morpeth
	Cheltenham
	Chester
	Chester-le-Street
	Chichester
	Chiltern
	Christchurch
	Cotswold
	Crawley
	Dacorum
	Derbyshire Dales
	Derwentside
	Dover
	Durham
	Easington
	East Dorset
	East Hampshire
	East Hertfordshire
	Eastbourne
	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	Elmbridge
	Epping Forest
	Epsom and Ewell
	Fareham
	Gosport
	Guildford
	Harlow
	Hart
	Havant
	Hertsmere
	Horsham
	Kennet
	Lincoln
	Macclesfield
	Maidstone
	Malvern Hills
	Mid Suffolk
	Mid Sussex
	Mole Valley
	New Forest
	North Wiltshire
	Preston
	Purbeck
	Reigate and Banstead
	Rother
	Rugby
	Rushmoor
	Salisbury
	Sevenoaks
	Shepway
	Shrewsbury and Atcham
	South Bucks
	South Cambridgeshire
	South Hams
	South Lakeland
	South Oxfordshire
	Spelthorne
	St Albans
	Stafford
	Stevenage
	Stratford-on-Avon
	Surrey Heath
	Tandridge
	Tewkesbury
	Three Rivers
	Tonbridge and Mailing
	Tunbridge Wells
	Tynedale
	Uttlesford
	Vale of White Horse
	Warwick
	Watford
	Waverley
	Wealden
	West Dorset
	West Lancashire
	West Oxfordshire
	West Somerset
	Winchester
	Woking
	Worcester
	Worthing
	Wycombe.
	 (b) Eight metropolitan district councils will all receive 2 per cent. increase in formula grant in 2008-09. This is the minimum percentage increase for authorities with responsibility for education and social services in 2008-09. The authorities are as follows:
	Gateshead
	Knowsley
	Liverpool
	Newcastle upon Tyne
	North Tyneside
	Solihull
	South Tyneside
	Trafford.
	 (c) 12 unitary councils will all receive 2 per cent. increase in formula grant in 2008-09. This is the minimum percentage increase for authorities with responsibility for education and social services in 2008-09. The authorities are as follows:
	Bournemouth
	Bracknell Forest
	Brighton and Hove
	Poole
	Portsmouth
	Slough
	Southend-on-Sea
	Swindon
	Warrington
	West Berkshire
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Wokingham.
	 (d) 30 London boroughs, including the City of London, will all receive 2 per cent. increase in formula grant in 2008-09. This is the minimum percentage increase for authorities with responsibility for education and social services in 2008-09. The authorities are as follows:
	Barnet
	Bexley
	Brent
	Bromley
	Camden
	City of London
	Croydon
	Ealing
	Greenwich
	Hackney
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	Haringey
	Harrow
	Havering
	Hillingdon
	Hounslow
	Islington
	Kensington and Chelsea
	Kingston upon Thames
	Lambeth
	Lewisham
	Merton
	Reading
	Richmond upon Thames
	Southwark
	Sutton
	Tower Hamlets
	Waltham Forest
	Wandsworth
	Westminster.

Local Government Finance

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 30 October 2008, Official Report, column 1277W, on local authorities, what her Department's definition is of  (a) a rural and  (b) an urban local authority for local government formula grant purposes.

John Healey: In calculating the amount of formula grant for an authority we make no distinction between authorities on the basis of any classification of rural and urban authorities. We apply the same formula to all authorities that provide the same services and we also use the best data that are available on a consistent basis across all authorities.

Local Government: Bank Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam of 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 724W, on local authorities: bank services, which local authorities had borrowed funds from Icelandic bank accounts under prudential borrowing arrangements.

John Healey: The Department does not collect information on which individual financial institutions local authorities have borrowed funds from.

Local Government: Non-Profit Making Organisations

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued to  (a) local authorities and  (b) regional development agencies on increasing the number of contracts awarded to social enterprises.

John Healey: Social Enterprises can play an important role in supporting local authority objectives by bringing dynamism and innovation to the design and delivery of public services. They can also help local authorities achieve more with their money, engage local communities and stimulate new markets.
	In December 2006, Communities and Local Government, alongside other Government Departments, launched Partnership in Public Services, an action plan for social enterprise and wider third sector engagement with public bodies, including local authorities.
	CLG also published statutory guidance to local government and its key partners earlier this year. Creating Strong, Safe and Prosperous Communities states local authorities should recognise and embrace diversity in the way services are provided, with the focus on desired outcomes and not whether the service is delivered by the public, private or third sectors.
	We also intend to publish the Tackling Worklessness Review early in 2009 which will make recommendations on how Regional Development Agencies, the private sector, social enterprises and other third sector groups, can work with local partners to improve employment in Working Neighbourhood Fund areas and through the new Local Performance Framework.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable for elections to each of the new unitary authorities is.

John Healey: Elections to each of the new unitary authorities will be held on 4 June 2009, with the exception of Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Durham and Northumberland, where elections were held earlier this year on 1 May 2008.
	In relation to Cornwall, due to the delays in putting in place new electoral arrangements for the new Cornwall unitary, I announced to the House, in the debate on the Order moving the date of the 2009 local elections to coincide with the European Parliament elections, that I was minded to introduce for consideration an order that would, exceptionally, move the election date for Cornwall from the beginning of June to the end of October 2009. I also made clear that this would be dependent on the work of the Boundary Committee and Electoral Commission being completed in good time and said that before doing so, I propose to take soundings and consult those affected in Cornwall.

Mobile Homes: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) permanent and  (b) holiday caravans there are in the catchment area of each of the principal seaside towns of England.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not held centrally.

Multiple Occupation

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses of multiple occupation there are in each of the principal seaside towns of England; and what percentage this represents of total housing stock in each case.

Iain Wright: The information requested is not available centrally.

Noise: Pollution

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of noise levels attributable to micro-wind turbines under permitted development consents; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: This Department has not made any assessment of noise levels attributable to micro-wind turbines under permitted development as micro-wind turbines do not currently have permitted development rights. However, this Department is considering what an appropriate noise limit on permitted development would be. Our aim is to ensure that what would be permitted would have little or no adverse impact on others.
	Work is being undertaken by the Department of Energy and Climate Change's Microgeneration Certification Scheme to put in place a methodology that would predict the likely noise level arising from the installation of a turbine on a site-specific basis.

Non-domestic Rates: Business

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether implementation of  (a) a Nottingham workplace parking tax and  (b) a Greater Manchester congestion charge would constitute a material change of circumstances for the purposes of calculating the rateable value of business premises within the charging zone.

John Healey: Whether the implementation of a  (a) Nottingham workplace parking tax and  (b) Greater Manchester congestion charge would count as a material change of circumstances (MCC), would depend on establishing the physical facts at the material date i.e. when the scheme(s) came into existence and judging those facts against the matters set out in schedule 6 to the Local Government Finance Act (LGFA) 1988 and by reference to the Non-Domestic Rating (Alteration of Lists and Appeals) (England) Regulations 2005 (SI 2005 No. 659)  [Wales (WSI2005 No 758)].
	Any MCC may or may not have an effect upon the rateable value (hypothetical letting value) of hereditaments.

Non-domestic Rates: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1284W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, whether  (a) hard copy and  (b) electronic maps exist of the boundaries of each sub-location.

John Healey: A sub-location defines a group of properties having similar characteristics which are not necessarily geographically contiguous and neither electronic nor hard copy maps of them are produced.

Non-domestic Rates: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1284W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, what criteria have been used to identify the boundaries of each sub-location.

John Healey: 'Sub-location' is a VOA description or label for a particular category of property having similar characteristics and which should therefore be treated in the same way for valuation, but may not cover a geographically continuous area.

Non-domestic Rates: Valuation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 30 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1284W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, whether each sub-location is ranked according to its value.

John Healey: Sub-locations are not ranked as such because they are intended to identify groups of property which will reference a particular pool of market evidence for arriving at a valuation level. However properties within them may have different values reflecting their individual physical characteristics and/or specific location factors.

Regional Planning and Development

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the reasons are for the time taken to publish the Government's response to the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration;
	(2)  whether she plans to bring forward legislation to implement the content of the Government's response to the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration;
	(3)  when she expects to publish a response to the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration.

John Healey: The Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration (the SNR) and the subsequent consultation document 'Prosperous PlacesTaking Forward the Review of Sub-National Economic Development and Regeneration' generated a high level of interest and a large number of responses. We have been carefully considering options for implementing the SNR reforms following the consultation. We will make our formal response shortly and will legislate to implement the reforms at the earliest opportunity.

Regional Planning and Development: Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many small businesses she expects to undertake work in connection with the Thames Gateway project.

Iain Wright: Data are not collected in the form requested. Government intervention in the Thames Gateway is not targeted at individual businesses. The role of central Government across the Thames Gateway is to create the conditions for economic growth. All businesses will benefit from the additional Government investment set out in the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan (November 2007) and the Thames Gateway Economic Development Investment Plan, published by the three Greater South East regional development agencies in September 2008.

Repossession Orders

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many house repossessions have been enforced by lenders without a court order in each month of the last three years, broken down by  (a) constituency and  (b) region.

Iain Wright: Data giving the number of repossessions are published separately by the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Financial Services Authority. Data are only available at the UK level and cannot be split by whether a court order was involved or not.

Retail Trade: Planning

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the revised Planning Policy Statement 6 will include a presumption against out-of-town retail development.

Iain Wright: Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for town centres (PPS6, March 2005) sets out a strong town centre-first policy which positively promotes vital and viable town centres across England. However, neither PPS6 nor our Proposed Changes to Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for town centres, published on 10 July 2008, contain a presumption against out-of-town retail development. PPS6 sets out a clear framework within which local authorities should plan for their town centres and the considerations which need to be taken into account when managing development proposals for town centre uses in specific locations. Our proposals reaffirm and strengthen this policy framework. They refine the way in which development proposals should be considered and tested if they are outside town centres and not in accordance with an up to date development plan strategy.

Shelter: Eco-Towns

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps her Department took to ensure that  (a) hon. Members,  (b) local authorities and councillors,  (c) local media and  (d) members of the public received copies of the documents concerning eco-towns produced by Shelter and funded by her Department; how many hon. Members were sent copies; what further arrangements were made for the distribution of the documents in the relevant areas; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions  (a) she and  (b) officials in her Department had with Shelter about the arrangements for (i) publicising and (ii) consulting on the eco-town documents produced with a grant from her Department.

Iain Wright: Shelter organised mailings of their series of publications in respect of each potential eco-town location. Shelter is in the process of sending copies of publications to the relevant hon. Members, and is also mailing them to local authorities and councillors, members of the public, community groups, housing organisations and other organisations that are in contact with local residents in areas where a potential eco-town has been proposed. The publications are available to download from Shelter's website. Shelter has also issued press notices to coincide with the publication of each document, which have been sent to the local media and include links to the PDFs of these documents on Shelter's website.
	Shelter discussed and agreed the arrangements for publishing and disseminating these eco-town documents with, my officials. However, any views expressed in the publications are those of the authors and not my Department.

Small Businesses: Tax Allowances

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 November 2008,  Official Report, column 116W, on business: tax allowance, what funding has been given to local authorities to assist them in promoting and raising awareness of small business rate relief.

John Healey: When the scheme was introduced in April 2005 the Department requested that all local authorities send information leaflets to ratepayers to provide information on revaluation 2005 and the new small business rate relief scheme. The total amount paid to local authorities for the distribution of the leaflets was 500,000.08.

Travelling People

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many authorised sites for gypsies and Travellers were provided in  (a) 1988 and  (b) 1998 by local authorities in (a) Essex, (b) Suffolk, (c) Norfolk, (d) Kent, (e) Hertfordshire, (f) Berkshire, (g) Cambridgeshire and (h) Greater London.

Iain Wright: The number of authorised local authority sites as at January 1998 was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Essex 15 
			 Suffolk 4 
			 Norfolk 5 
			 Kent 19 
			 Hertfordshire 12 
			 Berkshire 7 
			 Cambridgeshire 15 
			 Greater London 37 
		
	
	We do not hold data on authorised local authority sites in 1988.

Valuation Office: Databases

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for how many residential dwellings in England and Wales the Valuation Office Agency has access to property data through its interface with rightmove.co.uk.

John Healey: Releasing this information would prejudice the commercial interests and the procurement position of the Valuation Office Agency.

Valuation Office: Databases

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the proportion of records relating to private  (a) sales and  (b) rental transactions in England which are accessible each year to the Valuation Office Agency through its interface with rightmove.co.uk.

John Healey: The Valuation Office Agency does not obtain records of sales or rental transactions as a result of its contract with Rightmove.

Valuation Office: Reorganisation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Valuation Office Agency will use the property information held by the Rent Service for its valuation functions once the Rent Service is integrated into the Valuation Office Agency.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	Work is well under way in both organisations to ensure a seamless transfer of Rent Service functions to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) in April 2009. The aim is to ensure minimal disruption to normal working.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Members Interests

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library the latest copy of the Cabinet Office Board Members' Register of Interests.

Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office maintains a Register of Board Members' Interests in accordance with Government accounting requirements.
	A copy of the Register as at July 2008 has been placed in the Library of the House.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children in Care: Crime

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he has taken to reduce the risk of young people in care becoming involved in criminal activity.

Beverley Hughes: I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 11 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 1067-68W.

Children: Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were housed in bed and breakfast accommodation in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) region.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	Data are not held centrally on the overall number of children housed in bed and breakfast accommodation. However, since mid-2004, some information has been collected on the number of children (and expected children) housed in bed and breakfast style accommodation used under homelessness provisions of the 1996 Housing Act.
	Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Information on the number of children (and expected children) in bed and breakfast style temporary accommodation (i.e. bed and breakfast hotels and other privately managed shared facility annexes) is reported quarterly by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. This has been collected since mid 2004. Figures as reported by local authorities from 2004-05 onwards (as at the last day of March each year) are provided in a table, which has been placed in the Library. The response rate and quality of data reported by authorities is not yet sufficient to gross up to a regional and national level estimate, and data on the age of the children is not collected centrally.

Children: Day Care

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many child care places there were in the London Borough of Enfield in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number( 1, 2 ) of day care places for children under eight years of age by type of provider, Enfield local authority area, position at 31 March each year 1997 to 2002 
			  Type of provider  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002 
			 Day nurseries 900 500 500 1,000 900 n/a 
			 Playgroups and pre-schools 1,900 2,000 2,100 1,200 1,900 n/a 
			 Child minders 2,300 2,000 2,400 2,000 1,600 n/a 
			 Out of school clubs 300 400 600 900 1,600 n/a 
			 Holiday schemes(3) 700 800 2,400 7,600 7,500 n/a 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100, if over 100. (2) Data source: Children's Day Care Facilities Survey. (3) From 1999, places were counted once for each school holiday. Before 1999, places were counted once each year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number( 1, 2 ) of registered child care places for children under eight years of age by type of care, Enfield local authority area, position at 31 March each year 2003 to 2008 
			  Type of care  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 Full day care 1,500 1,500 1,800 2,100 2,200 2,600 
			 Sessional day care 1,400 1,500 1,500 1,300 1,300 1,100 
			 Child minders 1,500 1,600 1,600 1,600 1,600 1,600 
			 Out of school day care 1,300 1,500 1,500 1,800 1,900 2,000 
			 Crche day care 100 200 100 100 100 100 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 if under 100, and to the nearest 100, if over 100. (2) Data source: Ofsted. 
		
	
	Since 2003, Ofsted has been responsible for the registration and inspection of child care providers. Ofsted have produced figures on the number of registered child care providers and places on a quarterly basis from March 2003. Their latest figures were published in their report Registered Childcare Providers and Places, August 2008, which is available on their website at:
	www.Ofsted.gov.uk/

Departmental Information

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East, of 17 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1583W, on departmental information, what the individual names are of the publications, reports and datasets sold by his Department.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Most of the Department's publications are available free of charge on the Department's website and can be reused free of charge under the terms of the PSI Click-Use Licence which is administered by the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) in accordance with the Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations. Core information produced by the Department can also be reused under the terms of the Value Added Licence which is also administered by OPSI. Re-use of the information under the terms of the Value Added Licence may incur a change based on the type and amount of information.
	OPSI has provided the available information on the individual names of the departmental publications, reports and datasets that have been made available for re-use under the terms of the Value Added Licence and incurred a charge since 2005, as follows:
	Child Abuse Linked to Accusations of Possession and Witchcraft
	Common Assessment Framework
	Identification, Referral and Tracking Software
	Models of Adult LearningA Literature Review
	Open Plan Schools.
	These are all publications and some of them were published by the former Department for Education and Skills.
	The answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge) of 17th October 2008,  Official Report, column 1583W, on departmental information, covered the same information and period but inadvertently referred to the financial year 2007-08. No departmental publications, reports and datasets have been made available for re-use and incurred a charge under the terms of the Value Added Licence in the last 12 months.

Departmental Procurement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what proportion of invoices for goods and services procured from small and medium-sized businesses were paid within 30 days of receipt by  (a) his Department and  (b) the agencies for which his Department is responsible in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I would direct the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford to the Departmental Published Account for 2007-08 which sets out the performance of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in this regard. The Department paid 98.8 per cent. of all valid invoices for goods and services within 30 days.
	DCSF does not currently publish information about the size of its suppliers. We do not discriminate by size of business because many small and medium sized enterprises (SME's) can be found within larger supply chains. Alongside speeding up government payments we are also looking to our main contractors to pass on the benefits to smaller suppliers in their supply chains.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families was created on 28 June 2007 as a result of a machinery of government change. The data included in the 2007-08 account also includes that of its predecessor department, the Department for Education and Skills.
	The Department does not have any Executive Agencies.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families welcomes the statement by the Prime Minister to Prime Minister's questions on 8 October 2008 on moving to the payment of invoices as soon as possible and within 10 days. The Department will be working towards this goal.

Further Education

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent guidance he has issued to local authorities on the provision of post-16 education.

Jim Knight: Following the proposals set out in the White Paper Raising Expectations: Enabling the System to Deliver to transfer of funding for learning for 16 to 19-year-olds from the Learning and Skills Council to local authorities from September 2010, guidance for local authorities on the new arrangements was issued on 28 July 2008 and can be found at:
	http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/14-19
	This outlined the need for local authorities to work together in sub-regional groupings and the process by which readiness of the groupings would be reviewed. We will be issuing further guidance to local authorities on the second stage of the process which will focus on the governance of the sub-regional groupings and set out how we expect local authorities to come together with their partners e.g. schools, colleges and 3(rd) sector in delivering these reforms.
	Additionally, the Department is working closely with the Local Government Association and the Association of Directors of Children's Services to support local authorities in taking on their new functions.

General Certificate of Secondary Education: Crosby

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  what percentage of eligible pupils passed GCSEs at grades A to C including English and mathematics in Crosby constituency in 2008;
	(2)  what percentage of GCSE students in schools in Crosby constituency achieved five or more A* to C grades including English and mathematics in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Information at constituency level will be available when the 2008 Secondary School Achievement and Attainment Tables have been published in January.

Higher Education: Vocational Guidance

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the extent to which careers advice influences academically-able pupils in their decision on whether to proceed to higher education.

Jim Knight: Young people's decisions about HE are influenced by a range of factors. Research suggests that for a young person with no family history of higher education (HE), discussions with teachers, university visits and information on courses of interest enhance considerably the likelihood of a positive attitude towards HE. We also know that Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) on learning and careers can raise the aspirations of a Level 3 student who has financial concerns and no family history of HE(1).
	A range of measures are in hand that will improve the careers education/IAG available to support young people. For example, we have specifically targeted gifted and talented disadvantaged young people that are eligible for Free School Meals, through City Challenge, in a programme which has the explicit aim of improving progression to university. We will bring together our work to improve IAG in the spring in a published Information Advice and Guidance Strategy for Young People.
	(1) Morris, M., and Rutt, S., Aspirations to Higher Education: A baseline analysis, (August, 2003), p 8
	Morris, M., and Rutt, S., Aspirations to Higher Education: A baseline analysis, (August, 2003)

Plain English

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent by his Department on Plain English Campaign training courses for its staff in each year since 2005.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department was formed on 28 June 2007. The Department does not offer central Plain English training courses to employees. Some plain English courses have been run in-house by writing editors in the Communications Directorate but these have been at no extra cost to the Department. Costs for individual literary training arranged for employees as part of their learning and development are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department does provide a writing style guide including information on standards and plain English which employees can access from the departmental intranet.

Primary Education: Greater London

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the expected demand is for primary school places for each London borough for the next four years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department collects information annually from each local authority on their projected pupil numbers for forthcoming years, as part of the Surplus Places Survey. The following table gives a breakdown of primary pupil numbers in 2008 and primary pupil projections for the next four years for each London borough, as provided by the respective local authorities.
	
		
			  London borough  Actual Pupil Numbers  Projected Pupil Numbers 
			   2008  2009  2010  2011  2012 
			 Barking and Dagenham 16,817 17,649 18,580 19,714 21,005 
			 Barnet 23,873 24,173 24,671 25,269 25,927 
			 Bexley 18,630 18,569 18,656 18,565 18,764 
			 Brent 21,300 22,470 22,990 23,568 23,970 
			 Bromley 23,050 22,732 22,832 22,976 23,157 
			 Camden 10,205 10,266 10,381 10,550 10,756 
			 City of London 208 210 210 210 210 
			 Croydon 28,964 26,774 26,859 27,087 27,261 
			 Ealing 23,512 24,327 24,722 25,242 25,775 
			 Enfield 25,620 26,013 26,465 27,022 27,434 
			 Greenwich 18,696 18,904 19,410 20,067 20,780 
			 Hackney 15,600 16,081 16,481 16,965 17,523 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 8,459 8,672 8,772 8,834 8,899 
			 Haringey 19,283 19,618 19,987 20,483 20,971 
			 Harrow 18,435 18,620 18,767 19,003 19,260 
			 Havering 18,284 18,119 18,048 17,960 17,999 
			 Hillingdon 21,387 21,572 21,692 22,054 22,550 
			 Hounslow 16,897 17,216 17,733 18,248 18,887 
			 Islington 12,286 12,245 12,243 12,341 12,446 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 6,292 6,182 6,176 6,319 6,456 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 10,404 10,584 10,809 10,928 11,119 
			 Lambeth 18,038 18,243 18,527 18,846 19,084 
			 Lewisham 19,318 19,706 20,101 20,503 20,913 
			 Merton 12,806 12,929 13,113 13,367 13,899 
			 Newham 27,003 27,288 27,714 28,083 28,459 
			 Red bridge 22,165 22,431 22,831 23,399 24,147 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 12,458 12,750 12,969 13,288 13,744 
			 Southwark 19,939 20,055 20,166 20,334 20,517 
			 Sutton 13,317 13,285 13,444 13,635 13,939 
			 Tower Hamlets 19,890 20,979 21,200 21,423 21,615 
			 Waltham Forest 19,649 20,133 20,616 21,196 21,863 
			 Wandsworth 15,446 15,884 16,131 16,593 17,016 
			 Westminster 9,813 9,731 9,764 9,824 9,821 
			  Source:  Surplus Places Survey

Pupils: Intimidation

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress his Department is making in tackling cyberbullying in schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department introduced legal provisions in the 2006 Education Act which gave school staff new powers to confiscate mobile phones and to discipline pupils for bad behaviour outside the school gate, including cyber bullying. We published detailed guidance for schools on how to prevent and tackle cyber bullying in September 2007, and have more recently produced a resource pack for school staff which includes a DVD and a booklet for teachers. We ran a digital information campaign on cyber bullying last year aimed at 12 to 15-years-olds, and as part of anti-bullying week we are currently re-running this campaign to drive home the message that if young people laugh at, or pass on bullying messages online or with mobile phones, they are taking part in bullying. I have asked the Anti-Bullying Alliance and National Strategies to work with local authorities and schools to ensure the cyber bullying guidance is effectively implemented on the ground, and that schools make effective use of the other materials.

Runaway Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 
	(1)  how many young runaways there were in each year since 2000; and what steps have been taken to assist them over that period;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of children who were sleeping rough in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Beverley Hughes: Statistics on the numbers of all children who are reported as missing, and on the number of children who sleep rough are not collected centrally. However, a recent Children's Society survey (Still Running II, 2005) estimates that each year 100,000 children in the UK run away or are forced to leave home to escape problems. That survey suggests that one in six of those young people will sleep rough while they are away.
	In June 2008, the Department, in partnership with the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government, published the Young Runaways Action Plan. This set out how we will support those who have run away from home or care, draws on the findings of a series of parliamentary hearings, and reflects the direction set by the working group of officials and local government and voluntary sector experts which my Department set up earlier this year to drive work to improve services for runaways. In particular, we have committed to update the statutory guidance for local authorities about service provision for runaways; to produce a resource pack that schools and other organisations working with young people can use to educate them about the dangers of running; and to review the provision of emergency accommodation, which helps those young people who do run to stay safe.
	Additionally, the National Police Improvement Agency's Missing Persons Bureau has been working with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the charity Missing People to establish joint working arrangements to improve the recording, sharing and exchange of information, to improve the way in which missing persons are dealt with, and to inform our understanding of the problem in order to develop strategies to address it. A comprehensive national police database of missing and unidentified people reported either to the police or the charity has been established, and will be supported by a new police Code of Practice on the recording of data relating to missing people, which will be in place in the spring. Local areas will be asked to confirm the extent to which this data is collected and used appropriately at a local level as part of the new indicator, N1 71, 'Missing from Home or Care', which will be in place from April 2009.

Runaway Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what provision is in place for long-term specialist foster carers to take in young runaways for an extended period of time; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Local authorities are responsible for commissioning sufficient placements in order to respond to the diverse needs of children in their care. The information requested, therefore, is not held centrally.
	Our Care Matters White Paper outlined a range of initiatives to offer support to foster carers and improve placement choice.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what original estimate was made of the costs of implementing the provisions of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006; and what his most recent estimate is of such costs.

Meg Hillier: I have been asked to reply.
	Implementing the provisions of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 required the setting up of a new Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) through which unsuitable people would be barred from working with children and/or vulnerable adults. The VBS Full Business Case of 28 September 2007 showed set-up costs for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are expected to be 84 million in total, with five-year operational costs expected to be 246 million. Hence, over the five years of implementing the scheme, and vetting approximately 11.3 million people, the total costs will be 330 million. Since the figures quoted in that business case, the costs have not risen.

Special Educational Needs

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the average time taken to issue a statement of special educational needs was in  (a) Stoke-on-Trent and  (b) England in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Audit Commission has collected figures on how many draft statements have been completed by each local authority within the statutory 18 weeks, both when none of the allowed exceptions to the time limits within the 18 weeks are relevant and when they are. The latest figures available are for 2006-07 and are available on the Audit Commission's website at
	http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/performance/dataprovision.asp
	(Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) 43a and 43b). These show that Stoke-on-Trent achieved an average of 98.2 per cent. of draft statements completed within 18 weeks excluding exceptions and 87.6 per cent. with exceptions. The average local authority scores for England were 97.5 per cent. and 86.5 per cent. respectively.
	2007-08 is the last statutory period for the collection and reporting of the BPVIs. The new national indicator set, which has replaced all other local authority performance indicators, includes an indicator on what percentage of final statements each local authority completes within the statutory 26 weeks.

Special Educational Needs: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much funding was allocated to special needs provision in each county in the East of England in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The available information on how much funding was allocated to special needs provision in each local authority in the East of England in each year since 1997 is contained within the following table: Data is not available prior to 2000-01.
	
		
			  Budgeted net expenditure on the provision of education for children with special educational needs by local authorities in England since 2000-01 
			   
			   Budgeted net expenditure on the education of children with special educational needs 
			  Local authority name  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 England 2,763,226,000 2,908,380,000 3,038,661,000 3,466,180,000 3,774,757,000 
			   
			 Eastern Government Office Region 262,755,000 281,291,000 296,178,000 339,448,000 371,652,000 
			   
			 Bedfordshire 19,250,000 21,011,000 18,838,000 24,669,000 26,198,000 
			 Cambridgeshire 31,017,000 33,352,000 36,290,000 44,958,000 42,980,000 
			 City of Peterborough 12,325,000 13,410,000 14,787,000 16,936,000 18,620,000 
			 Essex 62,904,000 68,285,000 69,328,000 75,876,000 81,359,000 
			 Hertfordshire 54,162,000 56,668,000 55,427,000 63,654,000 71,970,000 
			 Luton 9,136,000 9,321,000 14,765,000 15,673,000 17,867,000 
			 Norfolk 34,824,000 37,782,000 38,304,000 42,233,000 44,946,000 
			 Southend 8,867,000 10,222,000 10,653,000 13,096,000 15,107,000 
			 Suffolk 22,845,000 23,452,000 29,012,000 32,374,000 41,529,000 
			 Thurrock 7,425,000 7,788,000 8,774,000 9,979,000 11,076,000 
		
	
	
		
			   
			   Budgeted net expenditure on the education of children with special educational needs 
			  Local authority name  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 England 4,120,549,000 4,481,245,000 4,863,604,000 5,098,742,000 
			  
			 Eastern Government Office Region 393,062,000 431,678,000 473,843,000 516,779,000 
			  
			 Bedfordshire 27,455,000 31,224,000 32,013,000 32,719,000 
			 Cambridgeshire 45,120,000 47,217,000 48,756,000 51,210,000 
			 City of Peterborough 20,337,000 23,188,000 24,838,000 23,747,000 
			 Essex 87,946,000 96,982,000 103,046,000 126,001,000 
			 Hertfordshire 75,794,000 79,344,000 87,928,000 93,423,000 
			 Luton 17,431,000 21,541,000 23,164,000 22,377,000 
			 Norfolk 48,604,000 51,472,000 60,953,000 69,471,000 
			 Southend 15,810,000 19,076,000 21,469,000 21,455,000 
			 Suffolk 43,991,000 50,159,000 57,750,000 58,210,000 
			 Thurrock 10,574,000 11,475,000 13,926,000 18,166,000 
			  Source: The data are drawn from local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements (Tables 1 and 2) submitted to the DCSF (formally the DfES).

Special Educational Needs: Transport

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children with special education needs (SEN) are transported to school from  (a) their homes and  (b) pick-up points for each local authority in England; and how much each local authority in England spent on SEN transport in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department for Children, Schools and Families does not hold information with regard to the number of children with special educational needs that are transported to school (i) from their homes and (ii) pick-up points. The amount each local authority in England spends on SEN transport in the latest period for which figures are available is contained within the following table:
	
		
			
			 England 552,558,571 
			   
			 Barking and Dagenham 2,781,486 
			 Barnet 5,921,620 
			 Barnsley 1,423,580 
			 Bath and NE Somerset 2,486,100 
			 Bedfordshire 5,714,663 
			 Bexley 2,656,000 
			 Birmingham 14,427,443 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 1,580,173 
			 Blackpool 1,386,786 
			 Bolton 2,767,088 
			 Bournemouth 977,190 
			 Bracknell Forest 1,408,478 
			 Bradford 6,233,823 
			 Brent 4,085,000 
			 Brighton and Hove 3,016,142 
			 Bromley 3,598,614 
			 Buckinghamshire 7,424,940 
			 Bury 1,999,500 
			 Calderdale 1,732,770 
			 Cambridgeshire 6,343,005 
			 Camden 2,977,372 
			 Cheshire 7,985,466 
			 City of Bristol 5,398,933 
			 City of Kingston-upon-Hull 2,525,190 
			 City of London 34,900 
			 City of Nottingham 1,810,178 
			 City of Peterborough 1,628,583 
			 City of Plymouth 2,072,800 
			 Cornwall 1,117,027 
			 Coventry 3,121,433 
			 Croydon 5,520,572 
			 Cumbria 4,110,000 
			 Darlington 651,171 
			 Derby 2,346,412 
			 Derbyshire 7,119,762 
			 Devon 2,226,871 
			 Doncaster 3,068,970 
			 Dorset 5,230,890 
			 Dudley 2,410,773 
			 Durham 4,647,889 
			 Ealing 4,639,006 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 4,603,040 
			 East Sussex 6,844,466 
			 Enfield 4,123,120 
			 Essex 13,339,592 
			 Gateshead 1,541,354 
			 Gloucestershire 5,157,802 
			 Greenwich 2,881,170 
			 Hackney 3,101,585 
			 Halton 1,226,758 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,296,342 
			 Hampshire 15,482,800 
			 Haringey 4,090,166 
			 Harrow 4,103,430 
			 Hartlepool 1,044,479 
			 Havering 1,870,775 
			 Herefordshire 1,514,990 
			 Hertfordshire 14,125,312 
			 Hillingdon 3,853,343 
			 Hounslow 3,013,032 
			 Isle of Wight 395,912 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 
			 Islington 2,043,197 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,603,400 
			 Kent 16,783,450 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 2,039,871 
			 Kirklees 3,429,117 
			 Knowsley 1,501,332 
			 Lambeth 3,235,828 
			 Lancashire 14,820,081 
			 Leeds 6,978,340 
			 Leicester City 3,921,116 
			 Leicestershire 5,901,210 
			 Lewisham 3,761,016 
			 Lincolnshire 10,558,393 
			 Liverpool 4,650,541 
			 Luton 2,444,236 
			 Manchester 6,662,836 
			 Medway 3,989,500 
			 Merton 2,245,040 
			 Middlesbrough 2,030,546 
			 Milton Keynes 1,746,871 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 2,059,350 
			 Newham 3,190,667 
			 Norfolk 9,874,655 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,025,138 
			 North Lincolnshire 1,501,770 
			 North Somerset 1,764,011 
			 North Tyneside 1,392,889 
			 North Yorkshire 5,867,096 
			 Northamptonshire 6,769,580 
			 Northumberland 3,244,040 
			 Nottinghamshire 5,079,617 
			 Oldham 2,089,162 
			 Oxfordshire 6,463,391 
			 Poole 1,021,220 
			 Portsmouth 1,657,677 
			 Reading 1,278,440 
			 Redbridge 3,361,085 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1,030,326 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 2,466,463 
			 Rochdale 2,036,394 
			 Rotherham 2,479,415 
			 Rutland 0 
			 Salford 2,555,549 
			 Sandwell 2,636,500 
			 Sefton 2,738,058 
			 Sheffield 4,466,569 
			 Shropshire 3,346,794 
			 Slough 2,135,874 
			 Solihull 2,119,110 
			 Somerset 3,507,624 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,860,000 
			 South Tyneside 1,094,618 
			 Southampton 1,723,293 
			 Southend 1,882,140 
			 Southwark 3,973,043 
			 St Helens 1,900,813 
			 Staffordshire 7,427,450 
			 Stockport 3,279,309 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 1,900,465 
			 Stoke 1,609,686 
			 Suffolk 6,150,246 
			 Sunderland 2,079,453 
			 Surrey 17,212,358 
			 Sutton 3,573,200 
			 Swindon 1,567,311 
			 Tameside 970,000 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1,783,149 
			 Thurrock 1,125,002 
			 Torbay 1,290,648 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,742,415 
			 Trafford 2,838,171 
			 Wakefield 2,828,348 
			 Walsall 2,280,126 
			 Waltham Forest 3,301,375 
			 Wandsworth 2,937,535 
			 Warrington 1,492,579 
			 Warwickshire 4,726,752 
			 West Berkshire 2,299,572 
			 West Sussex 835,776 
			 Westminster 2,972,900 
			 Wigan 3,299,113 
			 Wiltshire 4,365,717 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,341,893 
			 Wirral 4,036,800 
			 Wokingham 1,606,290 
			 Wolverhampton 3,094,900 
			 Worcestershire 6,154,350 
			 York 1,279,324 
			  Notes: 1. The data are drawn from Children, Schools and Families Financial Data Collection (Budget). 2. Budgeted net expenditure on special educational needs transport by local authorities in England during 2008-09. 3. Cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 11 November 2008.

UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his most recent assessment is of the steps necessary to implement the removal of the Government's reservations on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and what timetable he has set for taking these steps.

Beverley Hughes: The Government are currently taking the necessary procedures to remove the reservations against the Articles 22 and 37c of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is writing to the UN Secretary-General withdrawing the reservations. The Secretary-General will then notify the other states parties of the withdrawal. The withdrawal will take effect upon such notification, which we anticipate will take place by the end of this year.

Vetting: Overseas Residence

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps need to be taken in order to facilitate the taking into account of relevant offences committed overseas when individuals put themselves forward to be monitored under procedures established under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

Meg Hillier: I have been asked to reply.
	The Independent Safeguarding Authority, established under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006), can use foreign offences information when deciding whether to bar individuals from working with children or vulnerable adults.
	There are several ways this information can be accessed. Under an EU Council Decision agreed in November 2005, an EU member state must inform the UK if a UK national is convicted in that other EU state. This information is put onto the Police National Computer (PNC) and is available for the disclosure services.
	Under the same Council Decision criminal conviction information can also be sought on EU nationals being proceeded against in the UK and any information received from other member states put onto the PNC. A standard format for securely exchanging this information electronically was agreed at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 24 October.
	The UK sees information sharing as a key priority for the next EU work programme. We have signed the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation which recognises the need to share information among member states for child protection purposes.
	The Criminal Records Bureau is pursuing bilateral agreements, for example with France, Ireland and Australia, on exchanging information for employment vetting purposes. But, this is a difficult area and so far only three of the 26 EU countries approached have said they can co-operate with us on these bilateral agreements and we recognise that there is much more work to do on this.
	Sir Ian Magee's Review of Criminality Information published in the summer recommended that by January 2009, the Government should agree an approach to the international exchange of criminality information and that vetting and barring should be a priority area. The Government expect to publish its response to the review shortly.

Young People: Antisocial Behaviour

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1082W, on young people: anti-social behaviour, when the independent national evaluation  (a) will begin and  (b) is expected to report.

Beverley Hughes: The independent national evaluation of Intensive Intervention Projects will begin in 2009, and will report in 2011.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Broadband

James Gray: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent representations his Department has received on the role of private companies' in the roll-out of broadband internet.

Patrick McFadden: This Department has not received representations explicitly about the role of private companies but has received correspondence, where calls were made for Government to intervene to make industry roll-out broadband internet to areas that currently suffer from lack of service.
	I am committed to looking at this issue seriously and we will consider this in more detail over the coming months, in particular through The Digital Britain Report that the Government launched on 17 October. Reporting in the spring, The Digital Britain Report will develop a comprehensive strategy to further our digital economy and society. One strand of this work will look at options for maximising broadband participation and levels of service.

Business Confidence

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what surveys of business confidence his Department and its predecessors have conducted or commissioned since 1997; and if he will place in the Library copies of each.

Ian Pearson: The Department has not conducted or commissioned surveys of business confidence. There are a number of private sector surveys of business confidence (for example, the quarterly CBI Industrial Trends Survey) that provide a regular, reliable source of information on business confidence, which negate the need for BERR to conduct its own surveys and add to the survey burden on business.

Business Link

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses that  (a) sought advice,  (b) received intensive assistance and  (c) received other assistance from the Business Link network in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The information requested, where available, can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Business Linkcustomers helped 
			   Total customers  Pre-start-ups  Established businesses  Start Up  Established and start up  Intensive assists  I nquiries to national phone number 
			 2001-02 245,342   
			 2002-03 309,680   
			 2003-04 605,937 170,749 435,293   49,830  
			 2004-05 663,086 171,737 452,797 38,552 491,349 37,769 72,672 
			 2005-06 740,224 185,711 515,315 39,198 554,513 43,662 85,376 
			 2006-07 792,741 182,407 564,241 46,093 610,334 48,107 104,394 
			 2007-08 798,031 207,952 537,901 52,178 590,079 57,586 151,000 
		
	
	It shows the number of customers that have benefited over the years from Business Link where they can access a wide range of business support products. Business Link provides a wealth of information on business related topics, it helps customers diagnose their needs and helps them to identify solutions to meet those needs in both the public and private sector. It can be accessed through the website www.businesslink.gov.uk, by telephone (0845 6009006) or through the network of advisers based in England.

Business: VAT

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many new businesses in Leicester South constituency have registered for value added tax in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The number of new VAT registrations in Leicester South in each year from 1997 to 2006 is shown in the following table. Data for VAT registrations in 2007 will be available 28 November 2008.
	
		
			  Number of new VAT registrations and VAT-registered businesses, Leicester South 
			   Number 
			  New VAT registrations  
			 1997 320 
			 1998 340 
			 1999 355 
			 2000 340 
			 2001 330 
			 2002 355 
			 2003 365 
			 2004 380 
			 2005 425 
			 2006 405 
			  Source: BERR National Statistics publication Business start-ups and closures: VAT registrations and de-registrations 2006 available at: http://stats.berr.gov.uk/ed/vat/index.htm 
		
	
	Although the number of new registrations fluctuated over the 10 years, the total number of VAT registered businesses in Leicester South increased from 3,170 at the start of 1997 to 3,580 at the start of 2007, an increase of 13 per cent.
	VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was 60,000 at the start of 2006. Only 1.9 million out of 4.5 million UK enterprises (43 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2006.

Departmental Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for which Government websites his Department is responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost of maintaining each site was in that period.

Patrick McFadden: The Department's website is:
	www.berr.gov.uk
	It received a total of 10,107,460 visits from 6,589,815 unique visitors in the period 01 April 2007 to 31 March 2008.
	The main cost elements of its upkeep are:
	The Rhythmyx content management system (CMS). The CMS is used by staff across the Department and cost 1,029,474.83 in 2007-08.
	Provision and maintenance of the site's search engine facility by a third-party supplier, Open Objects. In 2007-08 this cost 15,784.21

Departmental NDPBs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department; and what budget each has been set for  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11.

Patrick McFadden: The remit of each of the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department can be found at the following link. An updated version of this list will be published shortly.
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/aboutus/corporate/performance/annual-spending/page40391.html
	Funding for 2008-09 agreed with each of the Department's Executive non-departmental public bodies, above 1 million, can be found on page 398 of the published Central Government Supply Estimates 2008-09see extract and following link. The only body not included on the list is Sitpro and we have agreed a figure of 800,000 for 2008-09. Funding for future years (i.e. 2009-10 and 2010-11) has not yet been agreed.
	The advisory NDPBs sponsored by the Department incur little or no expenditure and are resourced from within the Department. As a result, information on budgets for 2008-11 is not available.
	Web link:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/5705.htm

New Businesses: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many new business start-ups there were in Bexley in each of the last three years.

Ian Pearson: VAT registration data provide the only accurate indicator of the level of business start-up activity.
	The number of new VAT registrations in the London borough of Bexley was 580 in 2004, 535 in 2005 and 560 in 2006. Data for VAT registrations in 2007 will be available 28 November 2008.
	Although the number of new registrations fluctuated over the three years, the total number of VAT registered businesses in Bexley increased from 5,140 at the start of 2004 to 5,385 at the start of 2007, an increase of 245 (5 per cent.).
	VAT registrations do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which was 60,000 at the start of 2006. Only 1.9 million out of 4.5 million UK enterprises (43 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2006.

Smarta

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much funding his Department provided for Smarta in each of the last three years.

Ian Pearson: Smarta is a private sector enterprise, of which the Department is aware but has no direct involvement in its day to day operations. The Department has not given any funding to Smarta in the last three years.

Smarta

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate his Department has made of the user numbers for Smarta in each of its first three years.

Ian Pearson: The Smarta website is a private sector enterprise, of which the Department is aware but has no direct involvement in its day to day operations.

JUSTICE

Administration of Justice: Mental Health Services

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the implementation of the proposals on service users in the justice system made by Professor Michael Williams in his review of mental health services in Wales.

David Hanson: No ministerial discussions were held between the Ministry of Justice and Welsh Ministers about Professor Williams's report: Iechyd Meddwl CymruA Well Being and Mental Health Service Fit for Wales. The report was published in April 2008 and proposed a statutory body responsible for Mental Health and Well Being in Wales.
	The Welsh Assembly Government subsequently undertook a consultation on the proposal, which involved local partnerships whose shared responsibilities include those in the justice system. Welsh Ministers announced on 29 September that mental health services will become a fundamental part of the new integrated local NHS bodies, which was also subject of a consultation exercise, and not the responsibility of a separate statutory body.

Civil Proceedings

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what research his Department has carried out on the cost to the Courts Service of litigants in person.

Bridget Prentice: The Ministry of Justice has carried out no research on litigants in person.
	The former Department of Constitutional Affairs published research on two projects in 2005 that are broadly relevant:
	Richard Moorhead and Mark Sefton's 'Litigants in Person: Unrepresented litigants in first instance proceedings';
	Joyce Plotnikoff and Richard Woolfson's 'Evaluation of appellant work in the High Court and the County Court' which has a small section on unrepresented litigants.
	Both documents are available from:
	http://www.dca.gov.uk/research/2005/res05fr.htm.

Cremation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many cremation certificates were issued in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what guidance he issues on good practice in issuing cremation certificates;
	(3)  what representations he has received on an unsatisfactory practice in the issuing of cremation certificates.

Bridget Prentice: The Cremation Society of Great Britain provides statistical information about the number of cremations authorised each year. In England and Wales the number of cremations for each of the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003 404,754 
			 2004 388,336 
			 2005 387,874 
			 2006 380,663 
			 2007 381,067 
		
	
	Each cremation requires three or four certificates depending on the circumstances of the death. These are completed by the applicant, two medical practitioners or the coroner, and the medical referee at the crematorium. Guidance on the completion of the medical certificates was published in 2002 and 2003. New cremation regulations come into effect on 1 January 2009 and new guidance has been issued to cremation authorities, medical referees, funeral directors, medical practitioners and applicants for cremation as well as being published on the Ministry of Justice website and elsewhere within the cremation industry. Representations about the poor completion of medical certificates are made very occasionally to this Department. In certain circumstances these may be referred to the prosecuting authorities for investigation.

Departmental Land

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans there are for each of the sites owned by HM Courts Service registered on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land; what construction projects are planned for each site; and when he expects each site to be returned to use.

Bridget Prentice: HM Courts Service has three sites listed on the Register of Surplus Public Sector Land. There are two sites listed at New Mitts, High Peak which were to be used as part of the Derbyshire Magistrates' Court PFI scheme but we are no longer proceeding with a new courthouse at New Mills. HM Courts Service and New Mills Town Council (who own one of the areas of land) are now in the process of selling this land. We also own land at Ebbw Vale, Gwent that was acquired by the former Gwent Magistrates' Courts Committee for a possible new courthouse but. there are no plans in the current spending round to progress this project.

Disability Living Allowance: Appeals

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many disability living allowance and incapacity for work cases his Department lost on appeal in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by category of reason.

Bridget Prentice: The total number of disability living allowance cases where the Department of Work and Pensions lost on appeal in the latest period for which figures are available was:
	30,606 (50.5 per cent.) from a total of 60,600 cases cleared at hearing between October 2007 and October 2008.
	The total number of incapacity benefits cases where the department for work and pensions lost on appeal in the latest period for which figures are available was:
	25,970 (44.7 per cent.) from a total of 58,085 cases cleared at hearing between October 2007 and October 2008.
	The tribunal only records the outcome of appeals and not the reason.

Legal Advice and Assistance

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many individuals have been assisted using the Legal Help Scheme since the introduction of fixed fees;
	(2)  how many individuals have had more than one case prepared with assistance from the Legal Help Scheme since the introduction of fixed fees.

Shahid Malik: In the 12-month period from 1 October 2007 to October 2008, when the Legal Services Commission (LSC) introduced new fee schemes as part of the legal aid reform programme, the number of separate clients reported by providers in all Legal Help categories including immigration was 551,353. Of these, 77,514 received help on more than one occasion.
	From 1 October 2007 to October 2008 legal aid providers started 625,670 Legal Help matters including immigration and excluding the Community Legal Advice telephone helpline. New matters started can help one or more people, and one individual can receive help on more than one matter in any given period.
	From 1 October 2007 the LSC has required providers to record a Unique Client Number for each case they report. The client identifier means that the LSC can estimate how many individual clients legal aid providers have helped as well as the number of new matters started.
	As the figures relate to cases closed, they may include more simple or general Legal Help cases than complex ones. The complex cases, which may involve multiple problems, tend to last longer and may not have closed yet. Research shows that clients often experience problems in clusters.

Legal Representation: Fees and Charges

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent research his Department has carried out on the effect of fixed fees on the number of people who represent themselves in court proceedings.

Shahid Malik: The Government implemented new legal aid fixed payment schemes for solicitors and not-for-profit organisations in 2007. The impact of the fixed fee schemes is currently being reviewed by the Legal Services Commission (LSC) and relevant stakeholders. The LSC will consult on any improvements needed in January 2009, to take effect with new contracts in 2010.
	The following figures from HM Court Service show that the number of litigants in person in the family courts have fallen slightly in the last four years.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 52,905 
			 2005 49,876 
			 2006 49,410 
			 2007 48,983 
			 2008 (1)31,979 
			 (1) January to August.  Note: The figures exclude adoption work and relate to the status of the petitioner/applicant in county court actions only.

National Probation Service for England and Wales

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish the report his Department commissioned from KPMG on options for the future structure of the National Probation Service.

David Hanson: A number of options for change to the National Probation Service structure have been considered by Ministers, based on the analysis provided by KPMG and other sources of information. On 22 October 2008,  Official Report, column 12WS, I set out plans for the implementation of probation trusts. All probation boards will have the opportunity to apply to become a trust by 2010. A copy of the report has been placed in the House Library.

Pleural Plaques

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many responses he has received from  (a) trades unions,  (b) insurers and  (c) members of the public to his Department's consultation on pleural plaques; and if he will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 November 2008,  Official Report; column 330W.
	A total of 224 responses were received to the consultation paper. Of these, 125 responses were received from individuals and 30 from the legal profession. 18 responses were received from insurers and defendant organisations. There were 15 responses from trade union bodies, and 12 from Members of Parliament. Seven responses were received from employers and business organisations; four from medical professionals; four from organisations representing asbestos victims; and two from academics. In addition there were responses from a devolved administration; a non-departmental public body; a constituency political party; an actuarial body; a charity for education in health and safety; a statutory public body; and a consultancy firm specialising in occupational environmental and public health risks.

Prisoners Transfers

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many requests were received from prisoners for transfer to a prison near their home in 2008; how many were approved; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: Prisoners' requests for transfer are only recorded on their individual files. To obtain this information would therefore require a manual examination of the paper files of all those who have been in prison during 2008. This would involve disproportionate cost.
	The National Offender Management Service recognises the part family ties can play in reducing re-offending on release, and will facilitate transfers to maintain family ties whenever possible. However, the prisoner's security category must be the primary consideration in determining the appropriate location, along with the availability of programmes which address the individual's offending behaviour. The current high population levels also make it difficult to hold prisoners as close to home as we would otherwise wish.

Prisoners: Employment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what provision will be made in Titan prisons to enable prisoners to undertake skilled real work initiatives.

David Hanson: Large prison complexes will offer prisoners the opportunity to engage in meaningful work or education. Work opportunities will lead to qualifications with a focus on NVQs. The work available will be focused on skills shortages in the areas in which these prisons are located, and so assist prisoners to find work on release.

Prisons: Drugs

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what comparative assessment his Department has made of the effects of using  (a) buprenorphine naloxone,  (b) methadone and  (c) buprenorphone alone in prisons.

David Hanson: Suboxone, buphrenorphine and methadone are available on the national health service for the treatment of heroin addiction. The decision to use a specific drug is a clinical one, taken in the community or in prison following consultation with the patient about their clinical needs and priorities.
	Suboxone has been available to doctors since August 2007its superiority or otherwise over other licensed treatments, buprenorphine or methadone, has yet to be determined, as experience of the effectiveness of this drug in clinical settings such as prisons is relatively recent, and it will take time for a clear picture to emerge. Offender Health will continue to keep this, and all other drug treatments, under review.

Rape: Sentencing

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people released from prison after serving a sentence for  (a) rape and  (b) sexual assault in England and Wales in each of the last five years have subsequently been convicted of another sexual offence.

David Hanson: At present, figures on sexual reoffending post custody for a specific sexual offence are not available; extracting this information would be at disproportionate cost to the Ministry of Justice. However, published statistics on reoffending include information on the reoffending rates of offenders who were released from custody following an offence classified as sexual or sexual (child). These are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of releases from custody  Rate of reoffending (one year) (percentage)  Number of offences per 100 offenders (one year)  Number of severe offences per 100 offenders( 1) 
			 2002 347 14.1 43.5 0.6 
			 2003 355 14.9 55.5 1.7 
			 2004 456 13.4 44.5 1.1 
			 2005 486 15.2 47.9 0.8 
			 2006 583 11.7 39.5 0.0 
			 (1) The number of severe offences committed by this group is very small and these numbers should therefore be treated with caution. 
		
	
	It is important to note that only a small proportion of offenders convicted of a sexual offence carry out a sexual reoffence on completion of their sentence. Therefore the 'Rate of reoffending (one year)' column in the table represents the percentage of sexual offenders who committed a further offence of any type, with only a small proportion of the offences committed being in the sexual/sexual(child) category. An indication of this can be seen from the number of severe offences committed by this group which on average shows that less than one severe offence is committed per 100 offenders in this group. In the most recent year for which data are available this was zero.
	The latest reoffending statistics for adults, Reoffending of adults: results from the 2006 cohort, were published on the same date and can be obtained from:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/reoffendingofadults.htm.

Shoplifting: Fixed Penalties

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of those issued with a fixed penalty notice for retail theft in the last three years have subsequently reoffended.

David Hanson: A study of criminal histories and re-offending rates of PND recipients is under way and will be published in late 2009.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Sequestration

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of when carbon capture and storage technology would be commercially deployed following the establishment of a European carbon price through the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Mike O'Brien: The timing of the commercial deployment of CCS in the UK depends on several variables, including: how much demonstration projects succeed in confirming the technical performance of the technology; the scale of cost reductions gained from economies of scale and learning; the relative cost of fossil fuels; and the associated cost of carbon.
	Modelling undertaken by DECC suggests CCS deployment at 40-60/tCO2, however the early stage of development of the technology and the variables outlined above that will affect this figure mean that there is significant uncertainty surrounding this range.
	The Government do not comment on the future level of the carbon price.

Departmental Energy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to improve the energy performance of his Department's headquarters.

Mike O'Brien: The Department intends to implement the guidance provided in Good Practice Guide 286Energy Performance in the Government's Civil Estate. As well as considering ways to improve the building's energy efficiency, we are also looking for opportunities to reduce our carbon, energy and water consumption through changes to the way in which we work. 100 per cent. of the electricity supplied to 3-8 Whitehall Place is generated from renewable sources.

Departmental Expenditure

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what financial contributions his Department is making to international bodies in 2008-09.

Mike O'Brien: The final budget for DECC will be agreed once negotiations on the Machinery of Government changes with BERR and DEFRA are complete.

Departmental Land

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much surplus land his Department owns; and what the  (a) area and  (b) estimated monetary value of each site is.

Mike O'Brien: DECC owns no surplus land.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the Answer of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 441-42W, on departmental public expenditure, by what date he expects the negotiations on the machinery of government changes referred to in the Answer to be completed.

Mike O'Brien: There is no precise date but negotiations on the machinery of government changes, as they affect the Department of Energy and Climate Change, should be completed in time to allow the spring supplementary estimates to be completed.

Electricity Generation: Wind Power

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the annual  (a) percentage of active generating time achieved and  (b) total amount of electricity generated by micro-wind turbines allowed under the permitted development planning regime.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	Micro-wind turbines do not currently have permitted development rights. We do not have the figures referred to. We are currently considering the appropriate limits and conditions that would enable permitted development rights for householders to be extended to micro-wind turbines. To achieve this we would need to amend secondary legislation. The amending order would be accompanied by an impact assessment that would quantify the main costs and benefits of the change.

Energy Group

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library the organisational chart for the Energy Group.

Mike O'Brien: The detail of the future organisational structure of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is currently being determined, following the creation of DECC on 3 October 2008.

Energy Markets Unit

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library the organisational chart for the Energy Markets Unit.

Mike O'Brien: The detail of the future organisational structure of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is currently being determined, following the creation of DECC on 3 October 2008.

Energy Supply

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress has been made towards the objective of ensuring the  (a) reliable supply and  (b) efficient use of secure, clean and affordable energy.

Mike O'Brien: For the period from 2000, reliability of the UK National Grid transmission network in England and Wales has been 99.99983 per cent. There are incentives on operators of electricity distribution networks in Great Britain to reduce the number and duration of interruptions to supply over their network.
	Significant new electricity generating capacity and gas storage is being developed in the UK and, in future, the planning process for such infrastructure should be speeded up through the streamlining of consenting through the Energy and Planning Bills. Security of gas supply is also being improved through the development of three major liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals which will increase our options for importing gas from outside Europe. This week the UK received its largest ever LNG shipment as phase 2 of the Isle of Grain LNG terminal was commissioned.
	DECC now publishes its views on longer term energy supply in its annual Energy Markets Outlook publication, which considers future security of supply options.
	The Government have put in place a comprehensive framework of policies and measures to promote energy efficiency across all sectors of the economy, including the recent announcement by the Prime Minister of a new 1 billion package of measures to deliver lasting improvements in energy efficiency to help families permanently cut their energy bills.

Energy Supply

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to monitor the UK's electricity supply capacity margin.

Mike O'Brien: National Grid is responsible for monitoring the UK's electricity supply capacity margin on an operational basis. The Department publishes a longer term view of the capacity margin in its Energy Markets Outlook document, which can be viewed at
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/energymarketsoutlook/page41839.html
	DECC has also published information in the context of the 2007 Energy White Paper and the subsequent renewables consultation.

Energy Supply: Africa

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with his counterparts in African countries on the possibility of a high voltage direct current cable network connecting North Africa to Europe.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 17 November 2008
	 None.

Energy Supply: Europe

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the possibility of an integrated high voltage direct current cable network in Europe.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 17 November 2008
	 None.

Fallow Initiative

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps have been taken by the Fallow Initiative; what assessment he has made of its progress; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Fallow Initiative has been extremely successful. Each year the Department identifies licences where there has been no drilling activity for three years or longer. The owners then have just one year in which to drill or hand the licence back. In January 2008, a further 58 newly fallow blocks and 11 newly fallow discoveries were identified and an additional tranche will be identified in the new year.
	In addition to the 26 field developments that the process has delivered in existing licences, 72 of the 257 blocks that were offered last week in the 25th Licensing Round had been made available for re-licensing as a result of the Fallow Initiative.

Franco-British Nuclear Forum

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  on how many occasions Ministers have attended meetings of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum since its creation;
	(2)  what role his Department has in arranging meetings of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum;
	(3)  who attended the most recent meeting of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum;
	(4)  when the most recent meeting of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum took place.

Mike O'Brien: The Franco-British Nuclear Forum has met twice: in November 2006 and March 2007. It was attended by my noble Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy on both occasions. Membership of the forum was made up from industry, policy makers, regulators and scientists. The forum was managed by BERRnow DECCofficials. Full information about the forum is available at:
	http://www.francobritishnuclearforum.org.uk/.

Natural Gas

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of days of gas supply held in UK gas storage facilities.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 6 November 2008
	 The following table, from National Grid's Winter Outlook 2008 report, shows the assumed number of days of storage the UK has for 2008-09 at the maximum withdrawal rate.
	
		
			   Space (GWh)  Deliverability (GWh/d)  Deliverability (mcm/d)  Days at  full rate 
			 Short (LNG) 2,202 526 49 4.2 
			 Medium (MRS) 9,826 530 49 18.5 
			 Long (Rough) 35,545 455 42 78.1 
			 Total 47,573 1,511 140  
		
	
	The maximum deliverability of 140 mcm/day equates to around 28 per cent. of demand on a one-in-20 peak winter day. However, gas in storage is only one of the sources of supply which meet UK consumption, along with UK production not exported, and imported gas.

Natural Gas

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the total capacity of new gas storage facilities that will come onstream in 2009.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 6 November 2008
	 The UK currently has 4,364 million cubic metres (mcm) of working storage capacity, with an additional 420 mcm of capacity expected to come online.
	The Government are encouraging new investment in gas storage through the Energy and Planning Bill's reform of the planning and consents regulatory framework to ensure that is clear and consistent and reflects the national need for new infrastructure.

Nuclear Power Stations: Public Participation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how he intends to take into account the submissions made to the consultation on the strategic siting assessment of nuclear power plants; what criteria he will use to evaluate the responses; when he expects to publish the revised strategic siting assessment; if he will publish on his departmental website all responses; and what steps he plans to take following this consultation.

Mike O'Brien: The Consultation on the Strategic Siting Assessment Process and Siting Criteria for New Nuclear Power Stations in the UK closed on 11 November 2008.
	The Government are currently analysing the responses to the consultation. After careful consideration of those responses, we will publish the Government's response to the consultation in the new year. The Government's response will contain the final SSA criteria and any updates to the Environmental Study. We will also be inviting nominations for sites which will then be assessed against the SSA criteria.
	The consultation document set out details of the proposed SSA process and next steps. We will update the process and next steps in the light of consultation responses and include details in the Government response to the consultation next year. All responses to consultation will be published on the DECC website unless confidentiality was requested. The home addresses of respondents will not be published for reasons of privacy.

PowerPerfector

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the rollout of PowerPerfector at Whitehall Place.

Mike O'Brien: The PowerPerfector at Whitehall Place was installed on 8 March 2008. It is currently saving an average of 9 per cent. of pre installation consumption, and is predicted to result in annual savings of 167,000 kg CO2.

Renewable Energy

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which funding schemes operated by his Department support  (a) renewable energy  (b) technology development and  (c) production.

Mike O'Brien: DECC provides capital grant and other funding for the demonstration and pre-commercial deployment of low carbon and renewable energy technologies under the Environmental Transformation Fund. This includes support for the Carbon Trust innovation portfolio. The Government also provide support for renewables through market drivers such as the Renewables Obligation, which is expected to be worth around a billion pounds a year by 2010.

Renewable Energy: National Grid

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost which would be incurred by the National Grid if nuclear energy were used to meet the 2020 renewables target.

Mike O'Brien: The Department has made no analysis of the impact of using nuclear energy to meet the 2020 renewables target because nuclear is not a renewable. Nuclear will of course help to reduce emissions.

Renewables Advisory Board

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what future work programme has been set for the Renewables Advisory Board; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Renewables Advisory Board sets its work programme in January of each year. The work plan is available at:
	http://www.renewables-advisoryboard.org.ukl/about.htm
	and the 2009 programme will be published in the new year.

Renewables Advisory Board: Finance

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding the Government has provided for the Renewables Advisory Board in each financial year since its creation.

Mike O'Brien: The Renewables Advisory Board (RAB) was created in 2002.
	The Government have provided the following funding to support the activities of the advisory non-departmental public body, RAB:
	
		
			
			 2005-06 190,144 
			 2006-07 310,785 
			 2007-08 260,315 
			 2008-09 252,145

West of Shetland Taskforce Steering Group

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent steps have been taken by the West of Shetland Taskforce Steering Group; what assessment of its progress he has made; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The west of Shetlands and west of Scotland represents a potential 17 per cent. of the UK's remaining oil and gas reserves. Getting the right infrastructure in place to capitalise on this area is of growing significance as we continue to meet the challenge of a secure and diverse energy supply.
	No one company or single field is sufficient to drive the building of this infrastructure and my Department established a Government/Industry Taskforce to seek a collective solution. The task force identified a number of options for new infrastructure and agreed an industry sponsored process to test the appetite for third party investment.
	An independent broker was contracted to approach a range of potential investors including UK Continental Shelf licensees with interests to the west of Shetland, utility companies and financial organisations. The process closed at the end of October. I understand that there has been interest expressed by a number of licensees beyond the co-sponsors of the third party process (the Laggan/Tormore field and Rosebank field partners.)
	It is now a matter for these interested licence groups to consider the options and establish the commercial arrangements necessary to bring forward development proposals for consideration by my Department. I am hopeful that we will see further technical work begin early in the new year that will lead to a development decision during 2009.